422 



II 



l! 



So you Hce that, supposing theRe witnesses came lici-e and honestly tohl wliat thcv 

 belifved to be the- truth, wo iiave Science stopping in uiui deciding tlio question, and, 

 nidicovor, decidinjj; the (juestion entirely in (iivour of the liritiish case. I Hhall, tiierefore, 

 not trouble your Excellency and your Honours any i'urtlier with the evidence upon that 

 point, but pass to another branch of my arjjunient. I believe that I slated yesterday in 

 the course of my arf;umi'nt, that were wo to assume tlio Aiuericau acroimt of the inshore 

 catch of nmckerel in the uuif to be correct, and fix it ut one-third, that even then it 

 would be (juile impossible lor lliem to prosecute successfully mackerel tishiuK in the gulf, 

 without having access to the inshore tisheries. The business would not pay. TJiey would 

 eventually be comiullcd t) abandon the (iulf of St. Liwrence altogether, and in that ease 

 their market would not lie supplied with mnckerel. 



The evidence shows that althouiih an exeepticmal catch may be made in the hay 

 without going near the shore at all, yet that no man in his senses would tit out vessels aiul 

 send them into the buy, unless he hud the privilege of following the shoals of mackerel to 

 the shore. There is a consensus of evidence on that point, 1 submit. 



There was a statement made with reference to this fishery by Mr. Foster, in his 

 speech, in coimection with the evidence of Cicorge .Mackenzie, which I think 1 can 

 convince Mr. Foster was erroneous. No doubt he unwittingly misrepresented Mr. 

 Mackeii/ie's statement. 



Mr. Foster.— W'Unt is it about ? 



Mr. Thomson. — You put in his mouth this language ; it is ({uoted in your speech : — 



" TliiTc liiis iiiii Ill-en for seven ynnrs :i guoil ve.s.sel m;ii;ki'ri'l lisluTV, unci lur the lii.st two yeiu* 

 it has been growing worst au<l worse." 



Now, ho did not say anything of the kind ; and I want to show that this is the case. 

 I will read you what y(»u said : — 



" Wc' liiivi' tlic .statement (if one of tlie I'riiirfi Kilwiinl l^'liiml witnesses, (Senrge Marken/ic, on 



pnge \'.V1 nf tliu lilitish eviililu e, wlm, niter ilcscriliillg llie ;,'lU(lll;il ilcMTiMM! Ill' tllil AlJielicall lisliery 

 by Vessels, siiys, 'Tliire has mil been liir suveu years a. '^'inul ni.ickeiel lisliery, uud I'ur the Lust twuyeitfS 

 it litis lieen growiiif,' worse and worse' " 



I wish to call the attention of the Commission to this matter to prcv<'nt their heing 

 misled by this >talement. 1 do not, of coiu-se, charge any wilful mis-statiment u|)on my 

 learned ft lend, and consider that he has fallen into an imintentional error. Such language 

 was iic\cr u.sed by the witness in (|Uestioii : he never said —"and for the last two years it 

 lias been growing worse and worse." If my learned fiiend will turn up the evidence and 

 point such a s'atcnient out, I will witbdravT this assertion; but though I have carefully 

 gone throuirh his evidence I cinnof find it. 



Mr. Fosli-r. — Do you think liiat I am (pioting tliat expression of opinion? 



Mr. Tliiiiiisoii. — It is piiiilcd with (juotafion marks. You put forward this statement 

 as having been made by him ; and I un<lertake to say that this statement in that respect 

 has ne\ er been made. 



.Mr. Fosttr. — I an. put down as having quoted that continuously. I may say that I 

 did not correct that portion or a great portion of my speech. 



^fr. 1/ininson. — Von say that this statement is to be found on page I'i'J? 



Mr. Foslir. — The loUowing [lortion of his exa'niiiiition is to be found on paije 1.3,'} : — 



'IJ. The lidlii:ries failecl pretty suddenly, liiil they uni ? — A. Fur a gunil iiuuiy years they were 



'<i>. Which was tlio lust good yuir ? — A. Wu have not really hail a good year during the last 

 seven veai,-,." 



foiling. 



I thitdv you arc right. I do not think that the exact words of the expression which 

 is placed in (piotation marks is to be found there ; l)ut that statement contains the spirit of 

 his evidence. 



Mr. Thomson. — On page IL'8 he gives an opposite view. 



Mr. y'o.v^T.— 1 have just read from page 1^53. I must ctmipnre the sttitements, and 

 see bow they correspoiul. I should hate to be responsible for the accuracy of the 

 printing. 



Mr. Thomson. — 1 will not take up any more time about this matter, further than to 

 say to the (Jommission that I have carefully gone through this evidence, and I cannot 

 find it. 



Mr. Foster. — I say that the substance of thi.s statement is there. 



Mr. Thomson. — I diffir from you on tliat point ; but if you show that it is there, I 

 will withdraw what I have said about it. 



