321 



curinp fisli nn flic portion of the Newfoundland nnd Ijibmdor constfl mnde free to our citizens. It 

 Rhoiild 111! iKiticcd that tli(! iirnvifi finiiUy (uloptod oniiltud tlic rifjl' o'i'.'imiUy dmnandcd liy the 

 Anicrirmi.-i nf ciitiTin,!; other liuys iiiid liiirtMinrs fur luiit, mid Im idiMitical witli tlie oik; nt liist sulmiitted 

 ])y till' I'riti^h l'!t'iii|"itciiliiirii'.s, sirc'iii,'tlicii(;<l liy tin' uddiiidii nf tlic word ' wliatcvor' alter tin: clause 

 ' fur iKi (itlirr |iiii-].(isi'.' ]t is evident, therelure, tliiil tlie liiilisli (!civ(.'riiini<nt is not estn|i|)cd from 

 npjiosiii^' till' eliiiiii now pel up liy Aiiiericaii tislieiiiien mid snstiiiiied l.y the ['resident, iiiid nnytliin,^' 

 that occurred ihirili^' llio net'iilintiniis jireliiiiiiiary tn the Treiity. 



" We must lull liack, ijieii. u|miii the accepted doctrines of inteniational law. Kveiy nation has 

 the iinilmililed lij^lil tn iic;! lilic such rei,'iilalions of enimueice carried on il.s \vatei>i and with its 

 citizens as it ilecnis cxjicilicni, even to tlie extent n'' ixcliidiii}.' ( nlirely some nr all fnivi^n vessels and 

 nienhandi/e. Such nieasuics may he harsh, and under simie circiimstaMce.i a violati<in of intej-stati' 

 <'oiiiily, liiit tliey ari' iinl ilhu'id At all events, it dues nut liecome a (lovcniiiieiil to ciiMi|'Iain. which 

 now maintains a tarilf ]ir<i|iiliiii.ry as tn many articles, and wludi nt one time y/r'.«c(/ a f/nii-rn/ fnilinri/i' 

 anil iiiin-intiyidiirsi- Act. Vhcre seciii tn lie spi cial reasons why the Knmininn Autlicirities may inhihil 

 Renerd c<imnierce liy Americais < iii,'a;,'cd in lishiii;,'. Their vesseln clear fnr im ]initicular pnrt ; they 

 are accustiimed In enter one hay or harlmur nller ■inoti\er, as their needs ilemand ; they mi'.'lit thus 

 carry on a ciiiuslini? trade ; they wnuld eerlainly have every oppnrlunity fnr successful s!iiii'^j,diinr. 

 Inch'cd, this Wnnld le;,'iliiiiately lielonr; In the local r'uslciius and reveiiuu system, and nnt In the 

 fisheries. Wi ari thus forcal to thi fnmhi.^,,,,. ihal American Jiitltcrmcn hare no riij/U to cnitr the haij-^ 

 ami harbours in question and sell ijouds or imrchase siijijdics other than wood ami water." 



It is not iircissary 'o add a word to tlu; alilo and impartial laii;riiag(> (iiiotcd, cxciipt 

 to sni>^;ost that il'lhi' aiillior liad been now writini;', lie niijjjlit liavo I'oiind ti miTi? turcibic 

 oxaniplt: ot"iiiIioKpital)It' irnjslation than the " ijeiicralcmbar^'o ami iion-iiitcn-dursi' Act," 

 namely, tlic attempt to evade tiii! jili^ifhted pvomi.se of the nation, to remove (in- taxation 

 from fl.-ih, !))• taxin;; tiie cans — useless for any otiier purpose — in wliich the lisii are sent 

 to market. 



Wliil(! restoring to tlie legislation of Nova Scotia its true cliaracter, tliis article 

 bIiows also whieli of tlie two decisions rendered, one by Mr. Jii.stiee Ilay.en, the other by 

 tlie distinf;uishe<i ami learned Cliief .liisliee, Sir William Yount?, must bi; held to be the 

 correct one, on prejiarimj tn finh. The lalter's jiidj^'ment receives from this iiiijiartial 

 source an authority which it did not reipiire to carry conviction to all unprejtifliced 

 minds. 



The necessity for the Nova Scotia Statute of 183G, so much complained of, becfime 

 apparent within a pretty short period. 



In Is;i8, as r.iontioned in the I'nited States' Briet", pafi^e (), several American ves.sels 

 wore sci/.i'd by British cruisers, for Ushiiii; in iar^;e bays. Between liie dales of t!n' 

 Nova Scotia Statute and tliese seizures, llie American Secretary of Stale had i.ssiied 

 circulars eiiioiiiim; Amerieaii lisheriuen to oixserve the limits of tlie Treaty, Imt witlioul 

 savin;;; what these limils were. Wliy di<l he nbstain from [•ivin;j his countryiiieii the 

 text of the Convention of 1818, .\rticle I? Tiiev could have read in it that the United 

 Stales had renounced I'or ever the liiierty of takiii;;-. flryin;;; or curin^r lisih within three 

 marine miles ot aiiv coast, bay, creek or harbour, and tiiat they could not he admitted 

 to enter such bays or /irtr/iours except for shelter, or repairing damap;es, or obtaining: wood 

 and water, and for no other jiurposc whatever. Kvery tishernian woiUd have understood 

 such clc-ar lan^;ua;;e. Slatesiueii only could ima;;iiie that "bays" meant lar,;e bays, 

 more than six miles wide at their entrance. 



It was I lie privilege of eminent politicians, but not of the fishermen, to handle that 

 cxtraordinarv lo^ie whidi involves tho contention — l.^t. That for the purpose of li.shi'ig, 

 the territorial wa((M-s of every country niouu; the .sea-eoast extend three miles from low- 

 water mark. 2ml, That " in the case of bays and ;;ulfs. such only are territorial waters 

 as do not exceed six mih's ill widtli at the iiioiith uiion a strai^^ht line measured from 

 headland to headland, .'kd. Thai "all larp;er bodies of water tonnecled with tiie open 

 sea, form a part of it." Tliese words are taken from tlie A.nswer to Britis'i Case (paf>;es 

 2, 3). Till' t'raniers of the Convention of lN|H must have meant tliose lary:e bays, when 

 tliev excluded Aiiurienn lislicrmeii from entvrinij into any bay, &.e. Tin- most that tiio 

 fushernian could have said, after readiii^j tlie text, would be that it must Iiave been an 

 ()ir;-.v((//i<— and he would never have llioiii;ht of takiip^- the law in his own ham! and 

 disrc.^ardin;? a wdeiiin contract entered into by his (lovernment. But, with Ivs I'uinmon 

 sensed he would have said :~Tlie t'oiivi'iitimi could not mean the small bays, since 1 am 

 told bv .Xmericaii lawyers that il diil mil recpiiiv a Treaty to proleel I hi' small bays 

 a>;aiiisl' our iiitcrlcreiiec. (See the answer to liie Case at pa';e 'J.) The wor I Imv coiiKl 

 not mean aiiMliiii.u; but tlioM- lariie bays, which, in t!ie abse'.iec of Treat \ stipulations. 

 mij^lit bv some be considered is forniiii;; p.irl (itlhc open sea. .\ml aelin-- on lliis plain 

 inler|ire*tation ol llie mo>t clear teriii-s H'l' lislnrmau would iiave alistaiiud tVom eiilcriij;; 

 into aiiN bav e\ee[it for tlie |inrp.)ses meiilioned in tlie (.'onvenlion. OM lisheniieii 

 would, 'ill aiidili n, have la i-!it the yuiiiv^er eiies tleil tlierc was a paiMiUuunt re.ison 



