The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-29


These are our views. We do not claim 70
them any authority-not even that of the edito
OF the Era, who, as its readers are aware.
now temporarily absent from his post-but W
do ask for them candid consideration from
those who are soon to act in a most responsible
position. and are to decide at Pittsburgh tn
present character, and to great extent tn
future fate of the great American movement
for Freedom
THE AMERICAN FISHERIES -TROUBLE WITT
ENGLAND
Under this startling caption, the papers las
week contained an official communication from
MIR. Webster, Secretary of State, respecting
| troubles between the United States and Eng
land, relating to the Eastern Fisheries The
substance of the information it contains is as
follows By the treaty of 1918, American fish
ermen had been allowed to take fish on the
coasts Of British America in any waters three
miles from the land, with the privilege of en-
tering bays and harbOrs for the purposes of
shelter, repairs and purchases. The new
British Ministry interpret this three miles from
land to mean three miles from line drawn
from headland to headland, and they propose
therefore to exclude American fishermen from
the bays of Nova Scotia, where they have for
"A long time exercised their fishing privileges
Sir John PakingtOn has directed letter to the
~ A.. II.
Majestys Government intend to despatch, as
soon as possible, small naval force of steam
ers or other small vessels to enforce the obsery-
ance of the treaty, or convention. These YES
sells are expected to be ON the coasts during the
present month, july when, no doubt, seizures
will begin to'be made Already fishing YES
sci, called the " Coral . of Machias, has been
overhauled, and carried into ST. Johns, with a
view of being condemned The Government
of the Provinces are also cooperating in this
measure.
An additional note from Mr.. WEBSTER is
published in the Boston Courier on this sub
ject, to which is appended a letter from Hon.
EDWARD EVERETT, then Minister to England
to the then Secretary of State, the Hon. JAMES
BUCHANAN. 1t is dated London, April %, lsI5,
and says:
with my despatch, No 27S, of March %,
| transmitted the note of Lord Aberdeen of the
10th OF March, communicating the important
information that this Government had come to
the determination to concede to American fish
ermen the right of pursuing their occupation
within the Bay of Fundy. 1t was left some
what uncertain by Lord Aberdeen's note,
whether this concession was intended to be
confined to the Bay Of Fundy, or to extend to
other portions of the coasts of the Anglo
American possessions, to which the princip pies
contended for by the Government of the United
States equally apply and particularly to the
waters ON the northeastern shores of Cape Bre-
ton, where the Argus was captured. In my
notes of the 25th ultimo and I'd instant, ON the
subject of the Washington and the Argus,
was careful to point out to Lord Aberdeen
that all the reasons for admitting the right of
Americans to fish in the Bay of Fundy apply to
those waters, and with superior force, mas
much as they are less landlocked than the Bay
of Fundy, and to express the hope that the con-
cesson was meant to extend to them, which
there was some reason to think, from the mode
in which Lord Aberdeen expressed himself, was
the caseo
We apprehend that the concession made in
1916 still remains obligatory ON the British
Government, and that the question will be ad-
justed without resort to war,
On Friday, in the Senate, Mr.. Mason offered
II resolution, calling on the Executive for copies
of all the correspondence on file in the Public
Departments, relating to the Eastern fisheries,
which has taken place since the Convention
between the United States and Great Britain,
of 1918, and also whether any portion of the
United States naval force has recently been
ordered to the seas ad jacent to the British pos
sessions on this continent. The resolution was
adopted
On all sides an opinion was expressed ad
verse to the construction of the treaty of 1918
which is now contended for by the Government
OF Great Britain
Mr.. GRASSES Letter to Hon b. +. Butler
will be found ON our fourth page We bespeak
for it n careful perusal The Union does not
publish it. but comments on it, and defends the
present action of the Barnburners by saving
that the Democratic party in New York has
united upon the idea, that since the adoption
of the Compromise, it is neither necessary nor
expedlent to renew the sectional Slavery agi.
tation' The Erening Post does not publish
either Mr.. Chases letter or the Union'S com.
ments Are the Independent Democracy of
New York prepared TO stand on the ground
stated by the Union Is the Union an author.
ized exponent of their views The Sou,hers.
Press publishes the letter and pronounces il
" an elaborate and an able one The Whig
papers neither copy it nor comment on it. Are
the Republic, the Tribune, the Times &c.
afraid of the light it sheds on the movement of
lSlSi
THr WATSON CLAIM, as will be seen by our
Congressional proceedings passed the Senate
ON Monday This claim has been before Con-
gress for some twelve years, and has uniformly
been rejected, but passed the House this session
by ~ to SO, When it came up in the Senate,
MIR, CHASE requested, that as it involved an
important principle, it might be laid over lie
desired to discuss it. and was prepared to do 30
on Friday last tprivate bill day. when other
matters absorbed the attention of the Senate,
and lac did not have an opportunity. On Mon.
day he was temporarily absent Courtesy
required, under these circumstances, that the