The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-02-18

Inc superior attractions OF the and less precafous
employmens IN many cases have finally caused the to-
al abandonment OF the fishing business. both by the
capitalists and the operatives Ia towns-Beverly,
for inslanee-which seat forth annually large fleet 10
the banks there is not single registered vessel 10 tho
cod fishery, although the mackeel fishery is s prose-
cued There appears 10 be less decline in the fishing
business The districts where these branches Of manu-
iacture have made but little progress and where the ma
teral for ship building is cheaper The tonnage Of the
State OF Maine employed in the odhshery is nearly
equal 10 the whole tonnage oil all other States EN-
| poyed in that fishery
second OF The decline of the American ishe.
ries is the competition OF colonial hsh In our own and
foreign markets. IN consequences Of the legislation oil
ls46a legislation which conferred large benefit upon
the colonial fisheries, without adequate equivalent TO
our The reduction OF duties from specihc rates TO
uniform adj vaIorem rate OF twenty per cent on the Tor
eign cost Of imported sh has caused large impoTta
uon OF colonial fish for our own consumption. The
whole imported from the colonies Tor the year
1852 S6Oa.5o7 Previous TO 1916. the impouations
were too uftng to be noticed. Al that time no draw
back was allowed foreign dried picked fish but
oy The watehousing act OF that year. foreign hsh was
admitted TO be imported entirely in bond, and exported
rom American ports, without the payment OF any duty
! From the statement Of Mt. Wenan, deputy collector
OF Boston, IN relation to the fisheries OF Massachusetts,,
made to the Secretary OF the Treasury, appears that in
s43 no foreign dried fish were exported from any port in
! the United States. and only hundred and three
barrels Of picked fish. In lsi7, 81, 900 quntas of
dried, and $4,000 barrels of picked fish, exported.
From si7 1851 there were exported from the port of
Boston alone, sic quntas, and 92,52i barrels of
picked fish, which entered under the provsoss OF
The wafehousing law. and paid no dues, The value of
|
be colonial ior The year 1852, was 1907 ,34s,
| The value OF the whole export OF American fish for
the same year was $i53olo The decline appears extra
ordinary when il is remembered that the value OF dried
and picked fish exported 1906 exceeded Sc 100000
The views before presented the effect of the
housing law in encouraging the competition OF Canadian
wheat apply to colonial fish BY that law every advan-
tsge has been given TO the colonial fish for competing
with our own in The foreign market, which regulates the
price so that may be said that American fish virtually
have no protection under the present system.
| The committee have high authority for asserting that
those interested in the American fisheries would be will
ing that the duty fish should be wholly abolished il
they could obtain equal privileges with British subjects
on the fishing grounds.
The third and principal cause OF the decline Of the
American fisheries is, thai, in consequence OF treaty slp
ulations with Great Britain, Americans are excluded
from the best fishing grounds, and deprived OF other priv
eges and essential 10 the successful prose-
cution of any branch of the fishing Observation-Disclosures
which they enjoyed The period Of their greatest pros
peri,y BY the third article Of the treaty OF peace be-
tween the United States and Great Britain in 1883 il
provided as follows:
"That the people Of the United States shall continue
10 enjoy unmolesied the right take fish OF any kind
the Grand Bank, and on ali other banks Of Newfound
land also in the Gulf OF st Lawrence. aud al all o'her
places in the where The inhabitants OF both countries
used at any time to fish That the inhabitants OF tho
United States shall have liberty TO take hsh OF any kl
such part OF the OF Newfoundland the British
shall use, tbat not TO cure and dry them on the island
and also the coasts bays. and creeks OF all other OF
his Britannia Majestys domlnons in America And that
the American fishermen shall have liberty to dry and
fish in any OF the unsettled bays harbos and creeks
OF Nova Scotia, Magdalen islands, and Labrador, long
as the same shall remain unseed but so soon as the
same, either OF them shall be settled it shall not be
lawful for the said fishermen 10 dry cure fish at such
settlements without previous agreement for that pur
pose With the inhabitants, propneto, or possessors OF
the ground"
/, will be seen that by the provisions Of this treaty the
Americans secured the important privileges Of the shore
fishing twas while we enjoyed these privileges that
our fisheries attained their highest prosperity The Brit.
sh government regarded these privileges forfeited
by the of 1912. BY the convention Of 1918 il
was agreed that the inhabitants Of the United States
hall haua in with fho uhiorta If
his Britannia Majesty, liberty 10 take fish OF every
kind on that part Of the southern coast OF New
foundland which extends from Cape Ray TO the Ra-
meau islands, on the western and northern coast OF
Newfoundland. from the said Cape Ray TO the OUR.
pom islands, the shores Of the Magdalen Islands and
aeo the COASTS bays habors and creeks from Mount
Jolly, the southern coast OF Labrador to and through
the straits of Bese, and thence northwardly indefinite
" along the coast without prejudice however any OF
the exclusive rights OF the Hudson Bay Company; and
that the American fishermen shall also have the liberty
forever dry and fish in any Of the unsettled bays,
harbos and creeks of the southern part OF the coast oil
Newfoundland here-above described and OF the coast OF
Labrador But as the same or any portion there
Of shall be settled, it shall not be lawful for the said
fishermen 10 dry or cure fish at such portion so settled
without previous agreement for such purpose with the
Inhabitants propneiors. or possessors OF the ground
And the United States hereby renounce forever any ber
" heretofore enjoyed claimed by the inhabitants there
OF 10 take, dry, fish on or within three marine
miles of any of the coasts bays creeks, or harbors OF
his Britannia Maiesiys dominions in America not inclu
ded within the above. mentioned limits provided how
ever, that the American fishermen shall be admitted to
enter such bays habors for the purpose oil shelter and
repairing damages therein OF purchasing wood, and OF
obtaining water, and for other purpose whatever.
But they shall be under such restrictions may be
sary TO prevent their taking drying, or curing fish there
in, in any other whatever abusing the privi
eges hereby reserved TO them"
The construction lately given TO this treaty by the law
officers OF the Crown s that these three miles TO be
measured from the headlands points OF land
of the and not from the interior OF the bays
dents OF the coast II is not necessary here for the
mitlee to into any discussion TO show upon what
slight and ground this conclusion ia attempted 10
be justified II is sufficient for the present purpose that
the British government has preferred this claim OF right
BY this treaty, and especially BY such construction OF
Its provisions, vessels are excluded from the best
fishing grounds particularly in the Gulf OF ST. Lawrence,
where the greater number OF vessels resort They
are also shut from the early spring and late fall fish
eres-precscly those of the greatest value, and most
easily prosecuted Early in tho spring the ice leaves the
coasts and bays OF the Gulf OF st Lawrence and passes
out towards the Atlantic This together with the ice
coming down from the straits. forms barrier which the
vessels from the United States cannot pass until late in
the spring. Within the ice, upon the coast, the waters
swarm with herring which resort to the shores to de-
poste their spawn. The herring pursued close 10 the
shores by the cod and thus The colonial fishermen
enabled TO prosecute most profitable fishery in open
boats from the shore After the American vessels have
returned in the fall. the most valuable mackere fishery
OF the prosecuted within the bays and upon the
coasts While the Americans, confined TO the deep sea
fishery. compelled 10 have expensive vessels with at
east board the colonial fishermen can prose-
cute the fishing from the Shore upon the best grounds
open boats As the boats return at night the hsh are
cured fast they caught, and 40 thoroughly
cur ed and dried that they be exported IN bulk Inc