er 
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Mr. SHERMAN : The chair notices present here a gentleman who has been very 
vigorous in the fish interests, propagation and culture,and who has well repre- 
sented their interests in the legislature—Senator McNaughton of Monroe County 
—and the chair suggests to the meeting the propriety of his _participating 
in the discussions of the meeting. The chair also notices the gentlemen from 
the St. Lawrence Anglers’ Association— Messrs. Skinner, Thompson and Grant 
—the chair makes the same suggestion in regard to them. Is there any objec- 
tion to their acting as advisory members of this committee? Mr. Folger of 
Kingston is also present and it is moved that he be invited also to participate in 
the discussions ; and Judge Danforth, lately of the Court of Appeals is also in- 
cluded in this request. These gentlemen will be considered advisory members of 
the committee, if there is no objection, and the chair hears none. (Carried.) 
CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS. 
The Chairman (Gen. SHERMAN) said: 
In entering upon our business as a committee, it is proper that the chairman 
shouid state the circumstances which have called us here. 
In the winter of 1891 a Commission was appointed by the Government of the 
Province of Ontario to confer with a Commission from the State of New York 
with reference to an agreement upon a uniform system of fish laws, applying to 
the international waters between the State of New York and Canada. 
In the year previous, a Commission appointed by the Legislature of the State 
of New York for the purpose of revising and codifying the laws of that state for 
the protection of Fish and Game, had been several months in session. They had 
given to the various interests involved, exhaustive hearings and close study, and 
had perfected a code which, in their judgment, fully meets the needs of the case. 
This code was, by the requirements of the law, to be reported to the legisla- 
ture on or before the 15th of January, It was completed before the date required, 
and reported at the first meeting of the legislature “that occurred thereafter. 
After the report had been thus completed, a communication was received from 
the Ontario Commission, stating their desire fora conference. The term of office 
of the New York Commission having expired by the completion of the work as- 
signed to them, a joint resolution introduced by Senator McNaughton, was passed 
by the two houses, continuing the term of the Commission until such time as would 
enable them to confer “ with the Fish Commission which has been appointed by the 
province of Ontario, and also with the Commission of Fisheries of Canada for the 
purpose of procuring uniform legislation covering the fisheries over the waters 
between the state of New York and the Dominion of Canuda.” 
Under this authority the New York Commissioners held a correspondence 
with the purpose of fixing upon a time and place for a joint meeting. Finally it 
was agreed that the conference should be held at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in the 
city of New York on Thursday, the 22nd of October last. 
At that time and place appeared the New York Commissioners, Messrs. Sher- 
man, Roosevelt and Whittaker, Messrs. MacCallum and Stewart, the Commissioners 
from Ontario, and Mr. Gregory representing the Fish Commission of Quebec. 
There were also present by invitation of the members of the Commission, 
Messrs. Ford and George H. Welshons, Pittsburg, and Louis Strubler, Erie, repre- 
senting the Fish Commission of Pennsylvania; Dr. H. M. Smith of the United 
