Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1852-08-25
~ From the Buffalo Advertiser.
The Fishery Question in the Sens
ate.

We give below an Imperfect sKetch VI TUG
debate ON the Fishery question, which took
place in the Senate on Tuesday upon the re-
certion of mess sage from the President cover
ing the official information on the subject,which
he had been requested by resolution to com
municate to Congress. We pestave the same
disposition to exaggerate the difficulties of this
question in Congress, which has been manfes-
ted in certain eastern newspapers. Nothing
can be more mischievous, or more reprehensi-
BILE So far as yet known to Us, no American
fishing vessel has been seized, wh,chsaa not
been guilty of palpable violation of the CON
vention fists, according 70 the construction put
uroni IL By the americans Themselves. In the only
two cases that have been tried, the evidence
was SO conclusive that no defence was attemp
ted.
SENATE, August 4.
Amcssage was received from the President
in answer to Mr. Mason's resolution calling for
information respecting the fisheries, transmit.
ting report of the Acting Secretary of State.
and stating that Com. Perry, withae steam
frigate Mississippi had been dispatched there
to protect American rights.
Mr. Cass moved its reference to the commit
tee on Foreign Relations.
The greater part Of the correspondence &C
companyingths message has bfen print heSe
tofore They embrace all that sdael Fl9ee
on the subject since 1923, large part of which
was sent to the Senate in February. la45. We
had only opportunity to copy the following:
MR.. cRAarToS TO Mr.. WEBSTER.
WAsHiNGroS, Monday, July 5, 1882
Sir: have been directed by Her MajesUs
Government to bring to the knowledge Of the
Government of the United States measure
which has been adopted by Her Maest,'s Co
vernment, to prevent a repetition of the COM
plants which have SO frequently beer made of
the cncroachrnent Of vessels belonging to eiti,
zens of the United States and of France upon
the fishing grounds reserved by the convention
of 1918. Urgent representations having been
addressed to Her Maiesty's Government by the
GOVERNMENTS Of the North American Provinces
in regard to those ehcroachments, whereby the
Colonial fisheries IRE most seriously prejudiced,
directions have been given by the Lords ofthe
Admiralty forfstationing off New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, Prince Edwards Island, and in
the Gulf Of St Lawrence, such force as shall
be deemed sufficient to prevent the infraction
of the Treaty. It's the command Of the Queen
that the officers employed upon this service
should be especially enjoined to avoid all in
reference with the vessels Of friendly powers,
except where they are in the act of violating
the Treaty and on all occasions to avoid giving
grounds of complaint by the adoption of harsh
or unnecessary proceedings when circumstan-
ces compel their arrest or seizure.
avail myself of this opportunity to renew
to you the assurance of my high consideration
JOHN F CHAMPION.
Acting Secretary Hunter under date of j ally
6, acknowledges the receipt of this note.
The President states that Commodore M
Perry, with the United States steam frigate
Mississippi under his command, has been des-
patched to that quarter, for the purpose of pro-
noting the rights of American fishermen under
the convention of 1913.
Mr. Cass addressed the Senate for more than
an hour in examination of the Treaty of 1913,
| and seaoinyxI uz1and cor,
| resPondence OF tne Comm ssiohers who negoti
ated that Treaty, as well as of writings by the
British commissioner and Minister on the sub
ject, showing that the British construction of
that Treaty was wholly untenable He con-
tended that the American con struction was the
proper one. lie alluded to the Importance of
the interest engaged in the Fisheries, and siren
uously urged that they should be protected by
all the powers CT the United States, if Decessa-
ry. He regarded the movement the part of
Great Britain as most extraordinary.
Mr Davis said his opinion, expressed some
time since, that there was no cause for alarm,
and that no war would grow out Of this matter,
was still unchanged. Still he considered there
was much in it OF an irritating and vexatious
character. chad listened to the Senator from
Michigan with much pleasure incidentally
connected with this matter. was the question
by treaty. He would never yield that question.
to be determined by negotiation; he did not
believe Congress would consent to yield the
control OF the revenues Of the country to the
treaty making power. One year the wants of
the Government would require revenue of for
ty millions, and the next year eighty millions
perhaps would be necessary. While events
Were so uncertain and fluctuating, the question
OF the revenues Of the country should never be
placed beyond the power of Congress.
1t would never do to limit by treaty the rev.
enues of the nation. To do so wovld be an en-
croachment upon, the fundamental principles
of the constitution. So jealous was the consti-
tuition, that it did not permit the Senate, in its
legislative capacity, to originate money bills,
Should such treaty come to the Senate, it
would never meet with his appreciation. He
considered this movement on the part Of Great
Britain as intended as strong policy, which
might result as dangerous one, and the colo
MES, might, perhaps, find out that the object
they had in view might not be advanced by it.
He then examined the question of right. and
pronounced the construction passed on thei
ty by Great Britain altogether erroneous, He
did not think a war would grow out of this. He
did not believe Great Britain wanted a war Ia
grow out of it, but if she did she could have it
He would never surrender any right to her
| Mr. Hamilton followed in a critical examina
ton of the Treaty, and If the correspondence
at the time of its negotiation He maintained
that the American Interpretation of the Treaty
of 1878 was correct, and sustained by all the
authorities. He considered that the conduct o
Great Britain could not be submitted to with
/ out disgrace and dishonor. He had not con