^ 



420 



That is the only part of this uflidavit whicli I need read at present. 



Mr. Fonter. — Remember thnt Mr. McDonnUI is a Novn Scotiuii. 



Mr. Thomson.— i^o is Pattilu u Nova Scutiun. 



Mr. Foster. — McDonukl lives there, and his affidiivit was taken down tiiere. 



Mr. Thomson. — No matter where tlie aflidnvit is taken, the atiidavit is here anioMf; 

 those submitted by tiic Amcrieun Government, and they must adunt it as they have put 

 it in. Ilavinu; obtained this stiitcment, il' they did not like to put it in they need not iiuvu 

 done so ; but having put it in they are bound by it. 



Mr. Foster. — Thnt is a fair arj^ument. 



Mr. Thomson. — George Critchett, being duly sworn, says :— 



" I iiiii living; nt Miilillc Miltoiil, (luysliciro' ('niiiily, Nnvii .Snitiu-- I am .17 vi'iirs dM, rioin my 

 ci^'lilcuiilh ycai' uiilil fmii yiMtisu^'ci, | liav Incii mit iiiiu'ki'ivl aiKliMHl-lisiiiii;; mostly in AiiiiM'iiMii vi'stiuU 

 — I K'ft nfT tisliiiij.' hrciuisc llic iimiki irl li<liiii;; liacl ln'cii [Kpor for suviTiil ycius, ami it :-till; wiiciicvtir 

 miiokorcl get to Im' [ili'iity ai;aiii 1 will In- out li-liiii;; in vr-isrl.s. I tliiiik that in Icunn'r yi'uis, my 

 from ton years at;o ami lon;,'('r, llm averajie iinmlier of llie Ameliian mnekchl llect was iipwanlH of 

 .liM) (liirinj; the seiufou "ilnriii;,' the name ipcrind aliout thirty or forty Provincial ve^-si'l-i weri' in the 

 (fulf of .S|. Liwrenee the nnmlier of Anieriian vohhcIm aliuve relenvd to, i.t inlcmleil as the nninU'r 

 in the (liilf of St. Ijiwrenee -during; the vears |irevioiis to the lust ten years, the »vi'ra'.;e cateli of 

 niaekerel w.m two trijis for eaeh ve-sel iliirin;; tin' hisl six or se\en yeam they have seanrly avera;;oiI 

 one full eargo during tin- season I think that maiki'n'l go where they liiul the he.-it and largest iinanlily 

 of feed, and tliat when the wind is olf .shore il drives the small tish on whieli markeivl lieil into dee|)<'r 

 water, and thii maekerel follow ihem, and whcni'Ver there is a hig tleel otf slime mid heave over 

 inneh hail, the niaekerel wilt f(i||i>w the Ih'et dnring the year* I was out lishing wr did helti'r lailside 

 a line three mih's from shore than inside that line- "ii an avurage, I am of ihr (i|iiiiiiiii, almnt from 

 half to two-thirds of all iimckerel canglil liy vessels in the (lulf is eaiighl oulsiile of a line three inilcH 

 fwui shore." 



'I'liis deponent states that from one-huli lu two-thirds of the catches were made 

 outside, and thus virtually adinits that otie-hulf were taken inside of the three mile limit ; 

 this is about as favoui'al)l(' us o'lr ()\Mi lestimony. We all know that the langua^e wliicli 

 r.ppears in most atiidavits is liic liin^'tia^c of the man who draws them up ; and this is 

 true in nine instances out of ten ; and undoubtedly the most that they could get out of 

 this man was tiiat from one-half to two-thirds of the trips were made outside of the 

 limit. 



Mr. Foster. — He says that during seven years past the vessels have not averaged a 

 full cal-^o during the season. 



.Mr. Thomson. — That makes no diflerence. I only want to see what the catch is. I 

 am not at present discussing any otiier (juestion. 



Mr. Foster. — He also states that until tlie present season only two or three vessels 

 seined in the gulf. 



Mr. Thornxon, — That is another pttint, and I am «)nly touching on one point at I lie 

 present moment. 



In atiidikvit No. 177 (Appendix M) George liunker says :— 



■■l,(ienrge liiiiiker, do solemnly deilare that I am ."U years old that I am living at .Margaret 

 r..i\ , t«t'nly-four miles troni Halifax I have liecii ein|iloyeil as a lisherman ever simc I was a hoy — 

 for ten seasons 1 have lieeii nia.sler of a lisliing ves.sel, lishing in Ihi' waters olf the .\nierii.iii eoasis and 

 those of No\a .>c;oUa, tlii' (i\df of Si Liwreiiei', and Magdahn Island, lor coil, and maekeifi, and 

 herring codtish is not at all eaii'.'hl hy the Aiiieiiian lisliermeii within three inilis from the shore — 

 alioiil h,df of the maekerel iMiight hy the .VinrrieatiH is i-aiigiil within tlirei! miles lioiii -.liiai-." 



Mr. Foster. — He states that the catch of mackerel has largely fallen oil during the 

 last five or si.v years. 



.Wr. Thomson. — I cannot read all tliroii,!,'ii this aflidavit. They an' very inteiesting 

 reading, I dare say, but they take time. 



In atiidavit No. 102, Appendix (M) I (ind that Philip Ryan says: — 



" I, l'hili|i liyaii, do *ileiiinly deilaie that I am living at .Middle .Mill'inl, I am -IJ years nf 

 age— 1 think I was alimii l(i years of agi' wUfW I liist went onl lishing in lie- <iiilf nf St Liwieiice 

 in fishing vessels I have mostly heeii liiai kilel li-.hilig, although .some sea.siili.-> I iiavi- liri ii c od-lishing 

 iu the hay I hit <ilV going in lishing m.s.mIs in |S71.' ; the .\nieririin tishertiieii ih'ii I dry their nets ihn- 

 eiire their lisli on fair -oasts, as far as I know- during ihr last right or ten years mm kerel lishing has 

 Iiineh fallrii oil, and ilnriiig the last two years as far as I eai: hear, maekerel lishing lias almosi heeii a 

 failure jioigies and riams as far a- I know, is universally iisi'il in iIh- hay .is hail, allhoiigli a le\t 

 I'rovini'ial ve.ssulB may uei lusioiially iisi' Inrring -porgies and ilaiin got all lioni ihe States, aa far as I 

 am aware -I should think thatahiail imchall of all the niarkerel caught hy vessils is laughl mi'.-i'le a 

 line three miles from simru." 



