32» 



cnltcrs amon- llic fislicrmcn, and irritation seemed to iiave acquired vi^or and intensity 

 durinijtlicsiisiunisioii. Other international dilFerenees iiad ;,'rinvn up, troni tiie bc;?inninff 

 of the civil war, and had aeeuninlaterl during tlic wiiole ot' that war, to sucii an extent 

 tliat a sjiark niifjht start a serious eonflict. Kortuiiately cool heads were predominant 

 in llie twotiovernnunts; tlie Joint I iifrh Commission was appointed, and tiie VVashini^ton 

 Treaty rechu-ed to a money (|iieslion, what in former times would have cost the Uvea of 

 thousands of men, and would have, Ix-sidcs, entailed (m both sides an expenditure of 

 money ten limes more eoiisitlerahle than the compi'usatorv indenudties resultin;; Irom 

 that Treaty. T.-n Articles of that Treaty concern tlie fisliencs, from the XVIlIth to the 

 XXVih, liolh incinfcive, ami the XXXlIiid and XXXIIlrd. In addition to the liberties 

 ;;rant(:d to them by tlie Conveniion of Isls, Americans are admitted, by Article XVIII, 

 to fish evcrywiicre, in common with lirilish sultjects, without beinj;' restricted to 

 any distance from the coast, with jiermission to land tor the purpose of dryinj,' their 

 nets and cnrimr their lisli, provided they do not interfere with the rif;hts of private 

 proiicrty. 



On till- oilier Ikiik!, lirilish sMbjccis are admitl.Ml, by Article XIX, to the same 

 libcrlics on liic casieni sea co;i.sts and siiores oi' the Unileil Stales, north of the .'{iitli 

 parallel of north latiliide. 



Article XXI declares that as lone; ;.s the Treaty sliall sid)sist, (ish oil and (ish of all 

 kinds (except tish of tlie iidaiid lakes ami of the' rivers falliiii;- into ilicm, and except 

 (ish preser\cd in oil) briie^; ihe produce of the lishcrii s of liie United Siatis or of 

 the i)(imini()n of Canada, shall ije admilled into each country re.-i" ctively free 

 of duty. 



IJy Article XXII it is apved thai Commissioners sliall be appointed to determine, 

 havin? re;;ard to the jirivilei^cs acconled i)y the l.'niled States to the subji'cls of Her 

 Majest\,thi' amount ot" any coiiipensalion whii-ii oiiuht 'o be pai<l i:i return l()r tlu 

 privileici's accorded to the citizens ot' tin- I'nited Stall s, under Ariicie XVIII, and that 

 any sum of money which the Commissioners may so award sliall lie paid m a i;;ross sum 

 within Iwebe moiillis alter the awanl ^ivcn. 



Article XXXill stipulates (hat the fisheriis articles shall remain in force t()r 

 the period ot' ten years from tln' dale at which tliey may come in ;;;•• ration, by the 

 liassiiu,' ot' the rciiuisiie laws on both sides, and funlier, until liie ixpiralio.i of two years 

 alter nniice ^iveii by citlur of the parties of its wish to lerminale ihe saiu; . 



'I'lic 'I'reaty came into operation on tlie 1st .Inly, bs7;5. Great IJrilain claims from 

 the United Stat<s a sum of ll,8bO,(M)(t dollars Ibr the concession of the jirivil"y;es granted 

 to the liti/ens (jf the I'nited States; for the jierioil of tw<lvi' \ears. 



On the |)arl of the United Stales it is contended tiial the liberty of tisiiin;; 

 in their walirs and the adinissiun of Canadian lisli and lisli oil. duty tree, in the 

 markets of the United Slates is e(|uivalent to what (ireat nritain oiilains bv the 

 Treaty. 



The ipiestions now to be impiired into an' : — Is!. Is tic lirilish claim jiroved. 

 and to what e\teiit.' lind. Have the U'niled States reliutted the evidence adduced 

 on behalf ot Ibr Majisly, and have tlu-y proved a set-oil' to any and wliat extent. 



Wiierever Americans have cs|)resxed a disinterested upinion about the (julf and 

 other Canadian lisiieries, they have never underrated their value, as thev have in this 

 case, where they are called upon to pay for usim; them. 



.\f a time when no diploinali>t liad conceived the idea of laviim- tiie claim of the 

 I'liiltd Stati-i to these lisiieries, on the heroic accomplishments ol' our army and navy 

 from the o|i| Hiiiisli c.il.iny ot' .Massaeliusetts, as we have heard t'rom the eloipieiit and 

 dislinijnished United States counsel beliire this Commission : — at a time wiien, emeri;inu 

 from war. tit nceasioi'> oU'ered themselves lor rcniindiiii;' tireat IJrilain of what shi' owed 

 to the braverv of Massachusetts bo\s, wIk) had planted her Ha;;' in tlie place oi' the 

 Urcnch colours over tlii-- Dominion; in these limes the ri;;lit of lisliiu;;' in those wateiv 

 hail accrued to the Ann rii'aii jieople Irom no oilier ori!;in llian a eoneissinn by treaty, 

 and no oilier basis than the iitl iKn-siileli.--. When another Commission is appointed b_\ 

 Kn^laiui ami {•'ranee to settle the diirereiices wiiich ( \ist between them in reference to 

 the N'ewliiundland Kisheries, I donbl much it the political oratory of our American 

 friends could nol.willi a little chaise of tableaux and scenery, b- liinu'd to s()me 

 accoiiiil, Mich as the p'rencli remiiidirc the l']ii:.:lis'i people of llu' mis( cies endured b\ 



iicipie-; Carlier durin:v tiie wiiiur he .-pent at Sable Island on his way to N( 



t'oiuidland. liOui>bnr; 



aiM 



(Quebec, to briie^ luiropeaii civili/.iliou amon>;' the aiiori:;iiial 



tribe 



Alllmuuii it i.^ hard to ', ouch for aaMiiiiii; in such m.ii;ers of i;\ 



I uonbl mi 



uiicn 



whether France will recall the heroic dccils of her Cariicrs and Cliain['l,iins to mak 



