The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1815-08-19
ENQUIRER-OFtICE,
RIO RMoND, AUGUST
FOR THE ENQUIRER.

On reading the debates in the British House
of Commons, on the subject of the American
Fishery, I find it asserted by Sir John New
port, that before the .4neficGt HGr, the En-
gsh had the e1ci1SfUe fishery on the coasts
of newfoundland, Labrador, &c. & that they
then employed II ,0OO seamen and $4,000 tons
of shipping in the fishery" -Thcre have been
two American wars. If he means the last
war, every part of his asserti n is false
the treaty of 1885, made the fishery 5AEnsnon
to England aud America, as il had bS.n be-
fore the First war, which terminsted in q sep
araton OF the Two countries. Il he mean the
first American wsr, and that previously to that
war, the Americans were excluded, the false
hood would scarcely deserve notice. His ex-
pressions are cunningiy designed and altho'
i'll reference to the time Of which he speaks,
they are literally true, they are false in the
way in which he intended they should be re-
ceived. He says, "Ue had the exclusive fish
cry before the American War and employ
ed $1,000 seamen, &C." Now, before the first
war, WE included < meant the Americans,
just As we'll is it did the English * the
greater part Of the seamen * shipping which
he has enumerated, were really y48leyicon
1t IS true, as stated by Sir John Newport,
that by the laws Of nations, every nation has
an exclusive right to fish on its own coast, but
the fisheries in question, are, for the most ob-
vons and just reasons, excepted from the gen
eral rule. Before the Treaty Of 1868, the
two Canadas, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland,
Labrador and all the Islands on the
coast and in the guph of St. Lawrence,
with an e.t ciuSiUe right TO catch fish within
certain lipite, belonged to the French nation.
| \ war bgoke out between France and Eng
| land in tht year 1855. The causes of tins
! war are we'll known; and it is the last, If not
| the only war in which she had Justice IN her
| side The French, in order to give the En-
| glish power IA blow, designed to circumscribe,
! and ultimately to rom, the English American
| Col0i.ies IN this atterspt they not only failed,
| butt al their northern possessions and fisheries
we're CONQUERED by the ioIrf arms of England
| AID America. IN the prosecution of tins war,
| the attempts Of England and America to re-
duce the Cahadas, were very unsuccessful for
several years. On the part OF the Colonies,
several armies were lost, many men killed or
taken, and enormous SUNS of money eXpcn-
ded. After an arduous contest and great ef-
forts made by England and America, Quebec
Montreal, * all the strong places on the line:
Of Canada. we're taken from the French and
| tbey we're expeiled from tie country. Oh
the conclusion Of anat war, and by the 'Trcf.-
" Of 1865, all those possessions and fisheries
were ceded, IS much TO America as to I'm
! gau1 Tor Amr RIGA was Their an integra
part Of the Brit 81 Empire, and had borne thu
principal part in achieving the conquest
The Canadas becoming by conquest part
n $50, Of tie IN pre-, were allow cd partici
pat on ia the fishery; but it was prosecute
principally 0y those colonies which hD'
constitute he Northern State. Th
fishery vas viewed by England as sell a. b
Auer Ca, to be indispensable to the Nulther
, States.