The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1852-08-17
The Fisheries.

question, Und may lead 10 war between tue
United States aud Great Britain, we lay be.
fore our readers, from the Charleston Cop'
rer, complete view of the case
The fisheries are ON the Grand Bank OF
Newfoundland, on the shore OF Newlound.
land Nova Scotia, Cape Breton. New
Brunswick aud within the Gulf OF st. Law
renee and have been known aud highly ap
pTeciated since the year 1917 The first
British ship visited Newfoundland IN that
year, aud found there, at the same time,
fifty Spanish, French and Portuguese ships,
fishing. A century later-ln l6l5-Eng-
land had at Newfoundland $50 ships, and
the French, Biscayans and Portuguese 400
ships. From this period, the fisheries car.
ried on by the English became OF great ma.
tioual consideration De Witt remarks
that "the English navy became formida.
BILE 10y the discovery of the inexpressibly
rich fishing Bank of Newfoundland"
These fisheries are now prosecuted ex.
cInsively by citizens of the United States,
aud France, and the subjects of Great
b,itain, under various treaties and oonven>
tons. Their value is appreciated by Eng
land, as appears from various acts of Par
lament. as well as orders and regulations
for their protection.
France, AT Que time, having possessed
Cape Breton, Canada and Newfoundland,
profted greatly by these fisheries, In l7i5.
the value of one years fishing, which de.
pended on the possession by Frauce OF
Cape Breton, was stated at E926,000. 1t
was maxim with the French Govern.
nent that their American fisheries were of
more national value, inregard to navigation
and power, than the mines of Mexico could
have been, if the latter had been possessed
by France
In 1859 the French power was destroy
ed in North America, but to France were
reserved some limited fishing rights, aud
shelter for her fishermen in the islands of
St. Pierre aud Miquelon, These rights
were subsequently, required 10 France by
the treaty of Versailles, in 1889, by the 18th
article of the treaty Of Paris, in 1914, aud
the | ith article Of the treaty of Paris. in
1915.
These treaties and the declarations ac.
companying them are documents of great
importance at this time, IN illustration Of
the fishery rights of citizens of the United
States.
The people of Massachusetts, and of
other New England States, began to carry
on the fisheries, at an early period. Prior
TO the revolutionary war, about four thou
sand Of the inhabitants were employed IN
them, chiefly in schooners and small craft
BY the 30th article OF the treaty OF peace
of 1883, il was agreed that the people OF
the United States should continue to enjoy,
unmolesed, the right TO take fish, of every
kind on the Grand Bank, and on the other
banks of Newfoundland, also in the Gulf
of ST. Lawrence, and at all other places in
the sea, where the inhabitants of both
countries meet at any time TO fish; that the
Inhabitants of the United States shall have
aG6t, ecIasfss. atI8f dHTaospHtRs piehaigt
has heen such as to preclude the necessity
of giving references, as il is generally knowfii
hat his operations have stood the test op
lime, 'and not found wanting"
Those rDnnirinp his services, will find III
have liberty to dry and cure "J.;~. ~a'~ay
of the unsettled bays, harbors, and creeks
of Nova Scotia, Magdaen Islands and Lab
radofe, so long as the same shall remain
unsettled. After the peace Of 1888, the
fisheries were under the above article re-
sumed, but did not prosper till after 1890,
when the government began to foster the
fisheries by allowing the bounty on the
expectation Of saIted fish, by way Of draw.
back Of the duty on imported salt and al
so allowances to vessels employed for a GER
tain number of months.
The war OF 1912 again interrupted the
fisheries, and the treaty Of Client was 81.
Ient in regard to our rights in them. The
Immediately subsequent Commercial Con-
vention made no provision in regard TO
them @. Adams contended that the rights
of the United States to the fisheries were
not otabrogated by war Our people went on
aud continued their fisheries on the Coasts,
Bays, and Creeks" of the British posses
sions. Al length they were ordered off,
aud captured by the British naval forces
the British Government taking the ground
that the treaty under which we held the
fishery rights, was no longer in existence.
Our Government obtained then sus.
pension OF those hostile orders, until the two
governments could adjust the matter.
The Convention Of 1918 was then made,
and it stipulated that American citizens
should have, forever, in common with
British subjects, the liberty to fish on the
southern coasts of Newfoundland, from
Cape Ray TO the Rauea Islands, and from
that Cape TO the Quirpon Islands, on the
western and no,lhern coasts, and on the
shores of the Magdalen Islands. on the
coasts, bays, harbors and creeks. from
Mount Jolly. on the southern coast OF Lab.
radore. through the Straits Of Belle Isle,
and thence indefinitely along the coast
northwardly; also, the liberty, forever. 10
procure or dry fish in the unsettled bays,
A 4 Al. u