417 



filed, both ))rofc8sing to come from one set of books, it appears as if these were different 

 sets of entries in the same booits relating to the some subject, or that they were taken 

 from different books. 



Mr. Ihina. — Do you mean that the offer was not made in good faitli ? 



Mr. Thomson, — I do not mean to say that the offer was not made in good faith. It 

 wtis also rejected in good faith. We knew exactly where we were. I apprehend that tiio 

 Agent and Coimsel of the United States could have no possible authority to enaiile us to 

 Ku into the stores of Gloucester merchants and search their books. I tliinU that, like 

 Patillo, they would have asked lor our authority. 



Mr. JJana. — It is very well to make sport out of it. but you are calling in (juestion the 

 honour of persons. 



Mr. Tliomnoii, — If Mr. Dana thinks I am calling in question the honour of Counsel, I 

 must suy i am doing nothing of the kind. I would be very sorry to be misunderstood. 

 We have ^ot along so far very pleasantly at this Commission, and I hope we will do so to 

 the end. I state most distinctly that I have not the slightest idea of charging any 

 dishonourable motive on the part of the United States' Counsel; but I mean to say, 

 that, thouu;h the offer was made in good faith, it was rejected in good faith, and for 

 the reason which 1 have stated. 



Tlifso are the last observations I have to make in regard to Low. He certainly was 

 a most preposterous failure, coming here as he did, paraded as a man of figures and statistics, 

 having the title of Major in the army, and having filled the office of Postmaster, and I don't 

 know how iniiiiy more otliccs. He was brought here to destroy our ease, and by his 

 answers uiid cross-examinations he really benefited it as much as a witness could possibly 

 do. 1 think that the only parallel cuse to that of Low (and it may be a parallel case) 

 oecurti-d some tlioiisands oi years ago on the lulls ol Moab. I can imagine Mr. Collector 

 Bahson, who :i|)|icurtd to iiave charge of a great number of witnesses, and marshalled them 

 in at)d out, saying to Low, after he had given his evidence, in the same language as was 

 used by the King of Moab to the Prophet l»aliiaui, " I brought you here to curse mine 

 enemies, and ' l/)w' you have blessed tlicm altogether these three times; now depart into 

 your own country." And I presume he departed. 



Till re lias been some difference of opinion as to the catch taken within the limits. It 

 has been put down by a large number of witnesses as being at least a two-thirds catch ; 

 some oftlieiii have said it was a iiine-tenths eateii. .Mr. Foster baa based his argument on 

 the assumption that it was a one-third catch. The evidence on our side is overwhelming 

 on this point. I ealled your Honours' attention yesterday to the fact that the evidence 

 proiluced to answer our case was given by wittn-ssrs who had not been on the ijround them- 

 neh-es tit nil ; they tished, they said, elsewhere, and did not value the inshore fisheries, 

 simjily heeausi! they did not choo.se to use them. 



Let us refer to the tcstinjony of some of our witnesses : — 



■ Mr. Siiiiuii ( 'hivirii? .stilted llmt Iwd-tliinls at iciist ol tli« mackerel canjiht off Prince Edward 

 Islniid ix tiikrii within thiiic miles of tlif slioi'i', mill .some seiisons iioiU! eouKl bu eiuight oiitiside. (Hu 

 siioiii' iVoiii an i'\)ierii'iiit' of lliirly Vimim.) the rea.sons beiiif^ tlmt milckt'it'l eoiiie insliore to fet'd. In 

 the [lay of t'iialiiir the lisliin;,' is all inshoiv, llie reason heuii,' that in the centre it is deep water, with 

 a strong' iiirii'Til. < »n the south siijc are hani;.-; where lisli food uliouiuU. 



" Mr. MrLean -tuted that he hinisi'il liad m'imi vessels anioiifi schools of mackerel, ii.h far as the 

 I'Vt (oiild ^ee cither way iilonj? the oiitst, rij,'ht iii.~hoi-e, lie luwl seen muckurel taken with ji);.s in two 

 fathoms ot water. .Maikeicl. he .said ari' only taken when shiftiii),', except in .shoal grounds, or on 

 luuiks. When ho was in the haliit of lishiii),' .dl the iiiai kerel he took wiw witliiii tliri'e miles of 



the shore. 



" Mr. t'am|iion said he did not lish outsidi? the limit, becan.se there Were no li.sh there. Solium 

 vessels uscil I" drift olf the hind, hut they would have to ^ni\ in a>;aiii — lliej could j,'et no tish licyond 

 the three mih- limit. 



■• Mr. taiM|il.cll stated tluit two-thinls of the lish taken liy the Hsliiiij,' vessels in the Hay of Chaleiu 

 are taken within the three mile limits. The .\iiieiieiin fleet, he saiil, caught mackend from two to two 

 iukI .i-half miles IVoiii the coast. Thi're was not nmch lishiii;,' doiiij; outside llin'e miles. 



• Mr I'oinrr stated that he coulil safely say from an experience of forty years, that lie had never 

 cauirht macki'ivl more than two miles from the shore. 



" Mr. .'siliiiitt, of tlaspi', stated that he liad sei n .Vuieiican ski| jiors lish twoniiles from the.shoiv. and 

 inside a mile lor niaikeiel. lie had never seen them fmthci than that; they generally tished, said he, 

 in bv the shoic Codlish, said he, i.s cauiiht in his neiu'hbiairheod at from one and a-half to two miles 

 from tlie shoie 



".Mr. (ireiiier slated that ho had seen some ll«liiii>,' for imu-kerel Ix-yimd three miles, but the 

 niajoiitv lisliid «iihin tla^ limit. More than Iwo-thirds or the whole catch of .Vnii'ricans is taken 

 inside three mile- 



" Mr. .MacLeod slalcil that Anieii mis lishiii^' vessels lisheil inosllv witliiii three miles in tho Hay 

 of Chaleiu. He hiiu.self had taken li-li olV Miscoii ami Shijipegaii within half-a-niile of the shore. 



