Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-08-04

THE FIsHERIEs-Oficial Movements of the Eng
l;sh and american orernmemts.-The subioined
article from the National LnteIligencer of Wednes
day, is apparently semi-official, and shows that
our Government had, as early as the 7th instant,
been informed by that of England of the measures
adopted by the latter to protect the fisheries from
alleged depredations on the part of American
fishermen. 1t also confirms the report that a
United States vessel has been ordered to the Gulf
of st. Lawrence and the Bay of Fundy, to protect
our fishermen:
"We observe that many papers speak of the re-
cent difficulties in reference to our fisheries as
though they were something new as though the
Government of Great Britain had recently assumed
a new ground on that subject But to those who
have followed the history of this matter, it must
be fresh in their recollections that seizures have
heretofore been made by the British Government
for alleged violations of the treaty of 1918 between
the two countries. A fishing vessel by the name
of the Washington was seized in the Bay of Fun
dy, some ten years ago and it was on the dis
cussions that grew out of that seizure that the
Government of Great Britain so far relaxed its
rights under the treaty as to permit our fishermen
to pursue their vocation in the Bay of Fundy, pro-
vded that they did not go within three miles OF
the shore on either side. About the same time
the .a,gus was seized on the northeast coast of
the island of Cape Breton, and tried and conhs-
Gated. And this claim to exclusive jurisdiction,
according to their construction of the tre.,ty has
always been insisted on by Great Britain, though
not always enforced.
Nor has the present proceeding by the British
authorities been SO sudden, or SO entirely without
notice, as seems to be supposed. We are inform
cd, upon the best authority, that about the 7th of
this month the minister of Great Britain notified
our government that measures had been adopted
by the British Government to prevent the repeti-
ton of the complaints which had SO frequently
been made of the encroachments of vessels be-
longing to citizens of the United States and of
France upon the fishing grounds reserved to Great
Britain by the Convention of 1878; that urgent
Representations had been addressed to the govern
ment of Great Britain by the governors of the
British North American provinces in regard to
those encroachments, to the effect that the colo
NAL fisheries were most seriously prejudiced and
that directions had been given by the Lords of the
Admiralty for stationng off New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, Prince Edwards Island, and in
the Gulf of st. Lawrence, such force of small
sailing vessels and steamers as should be deem
ed sufficient to prevent further nfractions of the
treaty.
"The Minister of Great Britain at the same
time also informed our government that it was the
command of his government that the officers en-
ployed upon this service should be specially en-
Joined to avoid all interference with vessels of
friendly powers, except when they were in the act
of violating existing treaties and on all occasions
to avoid giving ground of complaint by the adop-
ton of harsh or unnecessary proceedings where
circumstances compelled the arrest or seizure of
such vessels.
awe have reason to believe that orders have
been given for sending into those regions one of
our best vessels, commanded by one of the most
experienced naval officers, as well as for the pro-
fnss existing treaties,
as to inquire into any abuses that may have grown
up either side, and to inform our fishermen of
their rights, and warn them against any attempts
at invasion of the rights of Others. -