Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-07-31

understand the latter Senator 10 put any these oontu
gencies in the at ALL butte assume that Il Is now IN
duty of the President of the United States TO send flee
into the waters of Nova Scotia and New brunswick.
said that much would depend upon the character Of Tia
Instructions given TO the commander of such feet
Much would depend upon the purposes of the British Go
and of those purposes the Senator
no more than myself IL is matter of pure conjecture
If the commander of such fleet is TO be instructed b
protect our fishermen in their just rights who is to tel
him, is he himself to be the Judge when their ius
rights invaded? lis the Executive to transfer his dut,
Of constituting treaty to q captain of q man-of war
How shall he give him definite instructions? Shall h,
il to the commander TO say which the broad wa
tiers of the TO all nations AND which mr.,
those in which we fish by license
The Senator says fishermen are to exercise the
just rights, they have for thirty years past WHO
knows how they have exercised their just rights for thirty
years past Is this Government prepared to say ON wha
part of the Of the British provinces and within
what distance from the Shore they have invariably shec
for thirty years past May il be that our fishing
vessels have encroached from time to time Do we moi
know the fact that they have done so?
Our fishing vessels have been captured more than once
IN the OF the last thirty years for the violations
treaty Is the captain OF man-ofwar to determine the
questions that may arsesome of them, perhaps very
nice and subtitle Or he to be there with genera
instructions protect fishermen and be left To tbs
guidance Of his discretion and the conectures he
make us to the proper construction Of the treaty Or
on the other hand is he TO be sent there and be told
you Ind British vessel capturing an American fishing
smack British waters or within the waters of bav whose
entrance is not above six miles wide open your broad
side upon him Now sir, when the Executive does that
think he Will assume power for which the Congress OF
the United States will be very call him to account
ana very solemn account, while the country too would
demand reckoning Itwould be assuminga power which
does not belong the Chief Magistrate of this country
would be forcing this country into war; when the
OF making resides in Congress and in Congress- alone
think, sir that without stimulating the Executive by
iery discussion here may safely the
he country and the interests of our Northern fishermen
IN s hands No American statesman is likely to betray
the one or sacrifice the other With full sense Of his
responsibility TO the country and has own stainless repu-
tation, and with much fuller knowledge than we now
have OF the subject we may expect him to discharge his
| whole duty.
But do not wish to violate the rule which announced
the proper when set out-that is that it is not
wise to discuss subject when furnished with
the necessary information in regard to IT. and conclude
with the hope that thescussion win not be pursued fur
ther and that the reoution may either be passed at
once, If there is to e further debate that it NAV be
postponed till another d,y.
| Mr.. PRATT. Mr.. Predent suppose from the late
of the hour that this day cannot be devoted TO the
object for which it designed differ in some degree
from those Senators who Lave spoken this subject
and that difference Of >opnon in my mind brings
to the conclusion that thee much stronger proba
bty of collision with Greet Britain than is expressed
by the Senators who have SPOKEN Great Britain has said
that she now claims the exclusive right of fisheries
those waters. Mr. Webster he representative of this
Government has said that und1 the convention of 1918
the citizens of the United States entitled to fish there
Here them the two Governments are directly at issue
Great Britain has sent an unusually large feet there
protect her citizens in the alleged rights assumed by her
Government We have the letter instructions from the
the British Admiral to the commanders of the vessels COM
posing that feet which says that CUR citizens are to be
prevented from fishing in those wars they have done
from 1918 TO the present time. MrWebster assumes not
only that this is the legitimate construction of the treaty
of 1873 but that the British Government have subse
queny IN lo45 admitted our construction to be the
rect and legitimate construction Of he treaty Of 1918
Now, SIR when the two Governments stand in this at
tude when here is the British fleet instructed by the Adj
mira in command to take possession our vessels pur
suing what Government says is thei Legitimate right
is there no danger of collision
Our feet ought to be sent shere-and can be sent
with but object-with instructions up the part of
our Government precisely similar those sent on the
part of Great Britain We have the letter If their Ad
mral directing their vessels to take possession of our
fishing boats and to capture engaged in this
business which Secretary Of State says which our
Government says is the legitimate right every citizen
of the United States. Now, when vessels go there
they 90 there properly with but instruction that
e .hA Rtsh Gopsrnnsnt anforce that order il must be
prevented by force. As my colleague says, il is Nil
farce to send feet there unless you send such in.
structions.
Each Government has assumed its attitude upon tn
subject the claiming for its citizens the exclusiv
right Of fishery the other assuming claim the par
OF citizens Of the right to fish, The British Govern
ment have sent their vessels there for the purpose Of pre-
w
send ought to send, feet there it should be wit
instructions that the British attempt carry out tn
orders Of their Admiral naval force must prevent it
that if it is to be done by force it must be prevented
therefore in the attitude of this question create
probability of war than / did with reference TO th
$40 40/" question, with reference to any position
in which the country has been placed within my recol
| lection.
1t to that the whole argument here to-day ha
proceeded upon false hypothesis. 1t is assumed tina
the British Government have sent their vessels there ii
order TO treat Why, sir, the sentiment ayowed by M
friend Of Texas, MIR. RUsK) that the people of thi
country the Representatives of the people of this
try, the Government Of this country, will
TO treat at the cannons mouth, is well known to the Brit
ish Government 1t is well known to the British Gov
eminent as 1t IS known, Mr.. President to you me
There is not Government the face Of the civize,
globe that does not know that treaty be mad
with the American Government if il be attempted b.
done by force however DESTROYS the Government Nigh
oherwse be to make the treaty which the other Govern
ment proposed II is known to Great Britain am,
therefore assume that she has intention TO trea
she would not have sent her fleet there if she hal
| desired to treat on that any other subject Their
Is not man in the country who would submit to tret
with her. If the fact assumed no doubt correctly ty
the honorable chairman Of the Committee Foreign
telanons Mr. MASON be correct Great Britain, ther,-
Tore does not pretend TO treat She has assumed her
ntude on this subject 1t is his That she has the
elusive right to these fisheries She Intends at the
mons mouth, to protect her subjects in what she has
Proohmed 10 be their rights We cannot be left in doubt
on that point because have here the letter of her Al
miral by our Secretary Of State setting forth
| that fact.
think the people of this country should not be ulle
INTO security about this matter think there Is great
OF collision with Great Britain in regard TO this
subject have doubt that the Executive department
OF this Government has done ms much as any Senator
would desire II TO do have doubt that the
steps have already been taken to provide sufficient