The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-07-20

here to-day from Franklin. New Hampshire. where
MIR. Webster is on his way to Washington with
dispatches for Government. He left a document
at the Boston Courier Office which that paper will
publish Monday. The trouble is said to be
about the fisheries treaty, and of most serious
ture-likely to disturb the peaceful relations be-
tween England and America such is the rumcr
on State street.
The above despatch reached US by telegraph
on Sunday night, but was withheld under an
impression that it was calculated to excite APP
prehensiOns not warranted by the cireum-
stances of the case. We insert it nov in
the form in which it appears in other journals,
for the purpose of remarking that up to !ester-
day no information of the kind communicated in
the despatch had been received at tire State
Department, and that no known causes exist
to justify any anticipation of disruption of
friendly feeling between this country and Eng
land.
The existence Of disputes between the fish
ermen of the New England States and the
fishermen of the lower British provinces, is not
now made known for the first time. Such dis
putes have existed for years in connection with
the practices of our fishermen, especially on the
coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and
have, from time to time, furnished the advo-
Gates of Reciprocity with reasons for pressing a
measure that would embrace an extension of
our fishing grounds as one of its provisions.
The people of the lower provinces have COM
planned that the terms Of the existing treaty
have been violated by Maine and Boston boats
LII -. e.
year; and that the result of these infractons of
treaty stipulations has been exceedingly in
furious to the fishing interests OF the provinces.
We believe that all of them are anxious to
effect an arrangement for free reciprocal inter-
course with this country, and that they are
prepared to surrender the free use of their fish
ing grounds as one of the advantages to be ac-
CURED by the United States. The failure of
the negotiations hitherto entered into by the
provinces for the accomplishment of their OBJ
ject, led their governments early in the present
summer to adopt more stringent measures for
protecting the claimed privileges of their fish
ermen on the coast of Nova Scotia, in the Bay
of Fundy, and in the Gulf of st. Lawrence;
and the British government has rendered them
assistance for the accomplishment of their pur-
pose. The presence of two or three small yes
sells of war indicates the character of these
defensive measures, which are reported to have
led to the capture of one American fishing boat,
and will probably lead to the capture Of others.
This, in brief, is the nature of '.the trouble"
which the telegraph has manufactured into
such formidable dimensions. As it stands, it
involves little more than police or customs
regulation, which may and probably will form
the subject Of negotiation, but can scarcely be
supposed TO peril the peaceful relations that
exist between the two countries. If it be
found that the rights exercised by boats sailing
from New England are sustainabe under the
treaty, the matter can easily be settled. If,
on the other hand, an official examination Of
the subject leads to the conclusion that the
pretensions of the provinces are sustainable
under treaty stipulations, albeit prejudcial to
our people, that may form valid reason for
considering and determining the question of
Reciprocity before the close of the present SEES
sion. The reader will perceive, however, that
in all this there is nothing that can reasonably
warrant the ideas suggested by the published
despatch.