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■*"»«—>— MUM >»■■»«■» l »« %»-if I 



I I 



974 



One of the witiirssofi, 1 rrcoUcct, from CilouccHltr. loUl us how Rrratly the trade in cod- 

 fish had improved, so tliat now, instead ot' sending; it out as whole lisli, it is cut in strips, 

 rolled loi;ellier, aid put in enns. and sold in small nr lar^e (pianlitics to suit purchasers, 

 and in lliat virv i a-v manner, sent all over llu' United Slates. 



C'liarles N. I'.w. (it the firm of .lohn Pew ^ Suns, on paf;e -100 of the American 

 Kviilenec. tistiiitd that the tolal value of fisit productiou ia sevcu years from 1870 lo 

 1870 inelusivc. was: — 



dol. c. 



• Hay Miukori'l ... .,. ... 77,!t95 22 



• Sliorc ilitto ... ... ... ... ... 27l,:(M;t 54 



Ood-tish, &.■ ... ... ... 702,873 10 



1,052,201 8U 

 " Thi'se ligiina j,'jve wliftt our vomelii caught They do imt pive what wi' purrliiwt'd oiitsid* of 

 •whot tbe veu.si'la cuunht." 



The eod-llsliiry is also one as to which there is no fear of diminution — C(>rtninly 

 none of its extermination. Professor liaird told us, on p. 156 of the American Kvidence, 

 that a Bin'i:le cod i)roduccs from ;{,000,0(H) to 7.C0(),()()() ejj«s, each one capable of 

 formin(>; another livin|j ai\inujl in the place of its mother. Hu said, that owinj; to the 

 winds and storms to which they were exposed, and to their beinp; devoured by other fish 

 which so\ii;;ht for them, the "best information was that about 100,000 of these ejrafs 

 prosper .so as to turn into livinfj; tish, capable of laUins; care of thetiselves, the inidcfended 

 and unrestricted naviy;ators of the ocean. AUhouf;h that is not a lar^e pereenta-je of 

 the amount of ova, yet an annual increase of 100,000 for every one, sliows that there is 

 no danger of the diminution, certainly none of the extermination, of that class of fish. 

 It is enormous in (piantity, somcthinp; which the wliole world combining to exterminate 

 could hardly make any impression upon ; and when tlie argument is made here that we 

 ought to pay more for the right to lish because we are in danger of exterminating what 

 cod-fish we have — if that argument is made — it amounts to nothing. But if the further 

 argument is made, that we have no cod-fishery to depend upon, then we have the stalislies, 

 and wo have information from witnesses from all parts, that the cod-fishery shows no 

 signs of diminution, and that it is as large and extensive and as prosperoe.s as ever. 

 Gloucester has gone more into the business than it ever has before, and 1 do not recollect 

 that there is any evidence, of the least value, showing that that fishery is likely to fall 

 off materially as a commercial product in our hands. 'I'here is a single British concur- 

 rence out of several others, I think, in this statement, which I will read : — 



George Romeril, Agent of Robin and Co.. one of the British witncs.ses, page 306, 

 9»yB : — 



■'Q. Is then; mucli iliflcri'nci' in thn ri'.siilts nl tht> cod fishrry year after year? — A. No; just as 



imich fisli ill'!' ii'iw (■•iii'^'tit as ever w;i.s llii' (;iiPi'. 



'(,,). In iiiiikiiiL' lliis .><tatiiiicnt youi ri-l'iT lo an fxperinicc nl' L'l years < — A. Ye.s. 



" Q. What is yi«ii' ovidoiici! on this jKiint ? — A. Th.it iIh? lod-li-ihery i.s not y>reaiirioui> 



" Q Yim hav(? always an avcrai.'^ catch ( — .\. Ft is alway-^ iili-iiil tfic sanji^ 



" Q. This lishcry can always he do|ii!ud('(! upon ' — .\ Ye-- 



" Q. l>n tliiisi' will) cniiaL'c in this tislicrv rw a riili- make .1 liviri,' ' — A A iliiivini; tiohermu) will 

 always make a iiniul livinf.' atiout our coast. 



" Q tint what will a lair average inau do i — A. He can alwa>^ make a pood living." 



I read that because it is the testimony of an intelligent British witness, who n-pic- 

 sents one of tliose great .Jersey firms that deal in eod-lisli on the west coast of the Gulf. 



The bait of the cod-fish need not b(> caught within the three-mile line. That, I think 

 we have pretty well establislied. 1 referred jn.st now to their argument, that we cauglit 

 whatever we bought, but that I certainly may pass by. We may buy it wlien we wish 

 it, but we need not have it. Your Honours recollect the t(;stimony of our witnesses from. 

 Provincetown, as well as those from (iloucest(>r, who said that they believed it was more 

 for the interest of all concerned that the cod-fishery sliould be carried on with bait kept 

 in ice as long as it can be, and salted bait — with fish, and bait, and liver, and everything 

 else that can he carried out and kept there, and what birds and fish can be caught on 

 the Banks, and tht; vessels stick to their hiisinctss. The testimony was uniform ; there 

 was not one who failed to join in tiie expression of opinion, that that course was far 

 better for tlie mercantile purposes of our comnumity than that our fishermen should run 

 inshore and buy the bait. But if they did go insliore and buy the bait, it would be a 

 question entirely beyond your Honour's considerjvtion. We have a right to buy it wh(.'re 

 we please, even here, and we certainly need not catch it. Among tlie curious grounds 



* nay ni.ickcrel nicauiiig such as arc caught in the Gull ot !^t. l.uwreuti' ; aud shore mackerel, thote cairubt 

 off the coasts of the United State*. 



