M?'. J. G. Bourinot on Canada! s Marine and Fisheries. 1 1 



with us in a spirit of fairness and justice. We have recently ajrrepfl to the 

 Washinfjton Treaty out of deference to the wishes of the Imperial (Jovern- 

 ment, and under the deep conviction that it is most desirable to avoid any 

 unpleasantness with a people with whom we have so many interests in 

 common. Any serious disaj^reement in connection with the fishcrio=', would 

 soon precipitate a conflict which would entail a loss on the Dominion of far 

 more consequence than any pain we might make by shutting out all 

 foreigners from the use of our fishing-grounds. We feel, too, that as the 

 fisheries are at our very doors, and our taxes comparatively light, we are 

 in a position to compete successfully with the energy and enterprise of the 

 fishermen of Xew England. The Americans themselves feel this, for we 

 read in an official document just issued by the State Department : — "The 

 contrast in the condition of the respective fisheries of the United States and 

 provinces is now still more in favour of the latter than in 1853. The salt 

 in both cases ma}' be considered free of duty. They are therefore on a par 

 in this respect. The advantages, however, possessed by the provinf^es of 

 proximity to the fishing-grounds, and of the employment of boats, render- 

 ing it unnecessary in a great degree to invest a large capital in vessels and 

 outfit ; the low duties imposed upon tea, coffee, sugar, molnsses, &c., and 

 on woollens, cordage, duck, &c., in comparison with those imposed by the 

 tariff of the United States; the cheaper labour; the light dues exacted 

 from American fishermen — all tend to enable the provinces to undersell the 

 United States in exterior markets." But the fact that we enjoy these ad- 

 vantages does not depreciate the value of the concessions we have made. If 

 we admit the American fishermen to a partnership in the f sheries, we can 

 fairly ask them for an amount of capital which will fully represent the 

 value of the business, which, we have already seen, is worth to them 

 $6,000,000 and upwards every year. 



It is to the fisheries we owe to a very great extent the origin and pros- 

 perity of the mercantile marine of British North America. Though our 

 commercial history only commenced, as it were, yesterday, yet we already 

 own an aggregate of tonnage exceeding that of all other countries in the world 

 except Great Britain and the United States, and equal to that of France. 

 The little province of Nova Scotia alone possesses a navy nearly if not 

 equal to that of Holland, whose marine also sprung from the success- 

 ful prosecution of the fisheries — whose capital, it has been said, was built on 

 a foundation of herring-bones. Shipbuilding was carried on in the 

 provinces with great activity between 1840 and 18S5. In the latter 

 year- 

 Nova Scotia built . . 294 vessels, or 56,768 tons, worth $2,481,752 

 New Brunswick built . 148 „ 6%474 „ „ 2,618,t)60 



Ontario and Quebec built . „ 63,915 „ „ 2,556,600 



Prince Edward Island built . 130 „ 26,193 „ „ 916,753 



Newfoundland built . . 71 „ 2,010 „ „ 80,400 



Total value . , * . , $8,654,465 



