! I 



wliy the American framere of the Convention of 181P conld liave no desire to open (iio 

 larg^e bays to llu-ir fi9l\orn>en, for the reason tliat, tip to IK27 or 1828, that is, until ten 

 years after tiie Convention, mackerel luul not been fotiml in hirjjje (jnuntities in the Gulf 

 of St. I^wvrence, 



if, then, the elrei\lars of tl\e Secretary of the Treasury to American fishermen 

 failed to put the latter on their si'^^rd, wiu'U ll>e Nova Scotia b'i;islalure sliovved sucii 

 tirm deiermination to enforce tiie rii;l\ls of her fisliermen, and coerce tiie Aiuerican to 

 obedience to law and Treaties, the rcsjjonsibility of any possible conllict fell upon tiie 

 American and not upon tlie Uritisli authorities. 



Our fiii'ud, Mr. Dana, exprc-^sed with vehemenc(> of lantriia^li', wliicli impressed lis 

 all. the si'rious ennse(iueiices wiiicii would have followed if a drop of .\merieau blood 

 had been spilt in tliese eoutlicls. We Iiave too f;ood an opinion of our Aiuerican eousin.s 

 to tliiiik thai they would iiavc iieeu miicli moved if one of their coiiutrv nun had l)eeii 

 killed while in tlie act of violalin^ tlie law in British territory. Tiie Ihiited .>tates have 

 laws MS well ;\s oilier iialidiis auaiiist lresp;i>.s. iijracy, and rdbliery, and it is not in tlie 

 hai)it lit' nations to wai;(' war in tiie pmleetioii Dt'tlmse of tiieir eouiilrMueM wiio coiiimit 

 any of these crimes in a lorei^n land. The at;e of liliijiisterini; had ^oiie by, and no 

 eloipieiUH! can restori' it to the standard of a virtue. 



However, a state of thinjrs wliieli is calcnl.ileil to create temptations sucli as were 

 offered to .American (isiiermen in Canadian waters siioiild lie at all times must caretiilly 

 avoided, and it was the desire of both British and American slatesmeii to remove such 

 dan:ierons and iiitlammable causes of conflict, which brouf^iit us to the Reciprocity Treaty 

 ofJ^5l. 



By tliat Treaty. Britisli waters in North .America were thrown open to United 

 States' cili/.ens, and I'liiied Slates' waters uortli of tlu; .Stilii de^;ree of north latiliKli! 

 were tiirown open to British fislu'riueii. exceptiiit; tiie salmon and siiad fisheries, wliieli 

 were reserved oii both sides. Cerlaiii articles of product' of liie British Colonies and of 

 the United Statis were admilted to each country respectively, free of duty. 



That Treaty suspended tlie oi>eratioii of the Convention of 1!S1H. ns loiii;' as it was 

 in existence. On the 17th March, isC).'), the I'nileil St.iles' (iovernmeiil ,i;ave notice 

 tlial, at tiie expiratiim ot' twel\e months tVoia tliat diiy. the lleci[)roeity 'I'realy was to 

 terminate; iuul it did then lirminate, and the Convention of 1818 revived, from the I7lh 

 •March, iKfii;. 



However, American fishermen were admitte<l witlifuit interruption to (isii in British 

 .\merieaii waters, on paMiieiit ot' a i:<-eiise, which was collected at tlie (iiit of Caiiso, a 

 very narrow, and the lu-ari'st, entrance to portions ot' these waters. Some .Viiiericaii 

 vessels look licenses t!ie first year, but many did not. The license fee haviiii,' been 

 raised afterwards, few vi-ssels took a license, and linally almost all ves.sels tislied wiiiiout 

 takiiiL; any. K\er\oiie will iiii(ie.>-stand the im))ussil)iiity of enforciie^j that s\sleiii. .All 

 American vessels haviii'.; the riulit to lisli in British .Ameriean waters under the Conven- 

 tion of l''l>. lliose who \sante(| or prot'essed to limit tiiemselves lo li>.hiii;i- outside of the 

 ihree-iiiiles limit iiad the riL;lil to enter on the norihern side ot Cape Breton wiiiioiit 

 lakin;:; a license. As Ion;;- as that license was purely nominal, many look it in order lo 

 i,'o everywheri' without fear of crni/.ers or molestation. When our license-tee was doubled 

 and at'ierwards trebled, tiic number of tlio.si;. who look it ;,'radiially dwindli'il to nothing;. 

 The old troubles and irritation weri- renewed, ami iiiaii\ li>hei'inc ii have explained bete.re 

 the Commission l;ow eniiiarras^in;: it was in manv iii'^taiiees to know, from the tlei-k of a 

 ves<( I. how jar I'roni the siiori' lliat vessel stood, 'fhree miles have lo be measured with 

 till' e\i', not liMin ill'' visiiile s'uire, but from low water-mark, 'i'lu're are coasts which 

 are hit ill'} liir si \"ral miles by the rei'ediii}^ tide. When tlu; tide is up, landmarks ma v 

 be lainiliar lo the inliabiiaats ol the siiore or frei|iient visitors of its water ; but lor the 

 lishennan who eoines tin re for tiie first or second lime, or perhaps for the tenth lime, leit 

 after intervals of \eais, it may be a diilicult task to determine where he can lish witli 

 safety. .And what eai, lie iiiin-e teniptiii;( — I .should say tantali/ini;- — than to tidlow a 

 school ol niaeki rel whici, promises a full fare in one day and a speedy nHiirn home, wilh 

 the mirage ot a fainil\ to embrace, ami of prolits lo pocket? Slioulii men be exposed to 

 such leiiiptalioiis, when euniinercial intercourse and money, as an uttinni r"llo [ireseiil .so 

 many modi > ot remoxin^ reslrietioiis .' is tlu.'re any one of tlu'si' variid moles ol'seltle- 

 iniir, whicii is worth the life of a man ? 



(jreai Brilaiii and I lit; 1,'nited States owed it lo their noble common ancestry and 

 to llii'ir close relalionship, not to listen to the evil advici' of pa.ssion, and lo show 

 to the World a new battlelield, where cool judy;inent and ^ood will are the most 

 successful arms. 



With the terniinatioii of the Reciprocity Treaty, reappeared the cruizers and 



