Its Imperial Iinpoitance. 15 



acquiesced in the sug:gestion of her Majesty's Ministers at tlie 

 very outset, and adopted the temporary expedient of issuing 

 season licenses to American fishing vessels at a nominal tonnage 

 /ate, " so as formally to preserve the right of sovereignty without 

 occasioning any dangerous comphcations such as were appre- 

 hended by the Imperial authorities.'^ American fishermen were 

 restrained at first to bays under ten geographical miles, and sub- 

 sequently to those only under six miles in width — a concession 

 entirely in accord with the demands of the United States before 

 and since 1854. They required that three warnings should l)e 

 given to American fishermen, and consequently rendered the 

 licensing system eventually a nullity. During the four years 

 this system remained in force it was systematically evaded, and 

 at last became practically worthless, according as the Americans 

 began to uuderstand that the British authorities were very lax in 

 executing it. In the first year of its existence, -'354 licenses w-ere 

 taken out, but they dropped to 25 in 18G9, though every one 

 knew that the Canadian waters were largely frequented by 

 American fishermen. The impression prevailed among the latter 

 that her Majesty's Government, in their great anxiety to avoid 

 anything of an irritating tendency in the existing temper of the 

 American people towards Great Uritain, arising out of the 

 Alabama grievance, would not make any seizures ; and, as a 

 matter of fact, notwithstanding repeated violations, no captures 

 were ever heard of. Vice- A.dmiral Wellesley, then in command 

 of the Noith American fleet, considered it his duty to point out 

 to the Secretary of the Admiralty that " as a consequence of the 

 continued indulgence towards the Americans, very few colonial 

 fishermen are engaged in fishing, owing to the almost prohibitory 

 tariff imposed by the United States on fish imported in colonial 

 vessels, and colonial fishermen therefore in considerable num- 

 bers man American vessels." The (government of Canada, led 

 then as now by Sir John Macdonald, known the world over 

 as a statesman of broad national views, felt called upon to state 

 that they viewed 



with very serious concern the effect upon our maritime population 

 of such dependence upon American einjiloyers. It creates sympathy 

 with foreign sentiments and institutions, and aifords o[)portunities lor 

 instilling into the minds of our peoplf ideas and expectations altogether 

 inimical to British connection. There is actually presenter^ to tlieni the 

 example of subjects of a republican power and citizens of a foreign 

 JState prosecuting their calling at the very doors and in the exclusive 

 limits of British subjects in Canada, who are themselves shut out of 

 the markets of that country by a prohibitive tariff adopted in the 

 interest of their own fishermen, while ours cannot even enjoy their 

 own exclu&ive privileges. The influence of these considerations cannot 



