New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-16
tory to the commercial and maritime interests OF the
Mother Country alone.

| the following remark able language: " New England
said bel il the most prejudicial plantation to this
Kingdom; because Of all the American plantations
biz Msjesty has none apt for building of shipping
as New England, nor any comparably Sc qualified
Z" FOR the breeding of seamen not only by reason OF
the natural industry of the people, but principally
By reason Of their cod and mackerel fisheries; and in
my opinion there is nothing more prejudcial and in
prospect more dangerous TO any moiher-kingdom
than the increase Of hipping in her Colonies"
The policy Of England, frpm the restoration Of the
Stuarts down 10 the Revolution, in strict accord
| ance with these views and sentiments She uniformly
refused al aid sad assistance 20 the navigation and
commerce OF New-Er gland, and directly restrained
and oppressed the fishing interest
| In 1888 O Parliamentary act was passed imposing
duties rum, nolasses and sugar imported into the
/ Colonies from the French, Dutch and Spanish West
IL dia Islands-an act designed TO destroy the Ash
trade with those Islands The New-England colonsts
remontrated and insisted that unless they could sell
teir fish 70 the planters of those Islands and obtain
nolasses 10 manufacture into for domestic Use
and for the Indian trade the fisheries could not Dc
prcsecuted without ruinous losses. But the mother
country was upyieding, and sent over feet to Gu
force ODE dience The fishermen and merchants gen.
orally evaded the payment Of the duties; and tue
oflensiye act, for time, was more annoying than
Injurious In 1894 however, this odious act was re-
viyed collectors sent from England to exact the
dutes and the cOloniss deprived of the trial by jury
IN all cases under this act Peryadicg discomfort fol-
lowed quarrels aud collisions occlrred, and this
Sugar-and-Moasses Act, as it was called, created
an excitement which led 10 revolution and terminated
IN our indie. Evidence.
The Southern coonists neither apprehended nor I'M
sers,ood the importance of the fish snd fishing in
terest They ridculed the folly and madness OF their
Northern brethren in resisting taxation upon moasses,
and made themselves merry over the struggles Of the
petty dealers IN Goldfish and molasses for cheap sweet
| ening But the exchange of fish for tie French and
Spanish sugar and molasses was the support of tue
fisheries and to pay tie duties would be certain ruin.
| The New England fishermen therefore, resolved to
SUSPEND trading with the mother country while this
oppressive act was in force; and then followed the
Parliamentary Act OF 1875, to starve them into sub
MISUNDERSTANDING tie trade of the Colonies of New
England 20 Great Britain and her dependencies, and
prohibiting them from fishing on the Banks OF New
/ fJrndlard and other places.
\ The Parliamentary debate on the passage Of this
bill is ihrillingly interesting and suggestive, and dis
closes the fact that it was sh and fishing that caused
the British Government drive the coonists to deter
mined revolution.
Lord North in opening the debate said that the
American fisheries belonged TO Great Britain, and she
bad the right to dispose OF them es she pleased.
Governor Johns,one said that the God of Nature
had given these fisheries to Nor and not 10 Oh En-
gland. and tie proposition 10 starye whole people
was iphumsn.
Mr.. Dundas said SIS to the famine so pa.hetica!ly
amented be was afraid that would not be produ ed
BY tie act; that the people OF New England, though
de, rived o. the fisheries could 8 i'll fish in their riye,s
and although that country was unit for grain, ye tue
colonisis had kind Of grain-Indian Corn-which
they might subsist on as well they deserved.
Mr. Burke said the greater part of mankind think
ike Macbeth
Slept 10 20 flr, hat should wade more,
Returning were az tedious as 90 oer'-
and that nothing was more cruel and insulting than
"a hold ont as resource to the starving fishermen
Of Nea. England that after the plenty of the ocean,
tLey may Ike in the brooks and rake in the puddes
End diet or what we consider busks and druf for
hogs.
Lord Sandwich declared hat the cclonsts were raw
VI disciplined cowardly mem and wished, that in
stead of forty or fifty thousand Of these brare fellows
they would produce in the field at least two hundred
thousaud-the mo e the better the easier the con-
| quest and, il they did not run away, they would
starye them into submission.
Such are a few of the eloquent sentiments culled
from The voluminous debate the passage of this
ooious bill, 70 prohibit the New England colonsts
from fishing on the banks Of Newfoundland Gnd other
places.
Thus we see that England, with view Of retard-
ing the prosperity of the New England fisheries,
enacted that fsh should moi be exchanged Jr the
rum sugar and molasses Of tho French and Spanish
West India Isands without pay ing duty so high as
to be ruinous TO the fisheries. The colonies refused
TO comply, and, in retaliation, resolved that they
would OF trade with the mother country while this
odious act was in force. Then see England enact
ing that tie New England coloniss should trade ex-
clusi,ely with the mother country, and that they
should not fish on the Banks of Newfoundland and
ether places To these odious and cruel exactions
The p.tty traders in Goldfish and molasses would not
submit: and other imposiiiOns being slperadded they
,eoeiled. fought, and trumphantly conquered and
won an indet endcnt nationaltyand thus II was aud
is. that fish and fishing not only intimately con
necied WITH but were the controlling cause OF the
| Revolution
After seven years peace was concluded; and
now let Us see what fish and fishing did 10 preparing
and enabling the coonists TO fight successfully the
battles for freeisbing and Liberty and also how I'M
periousy tie fishing interest dictated the terms and
! conditions If peace.
II is eonceced, and the assertions need no collateral
proof that the British navy became Formidable and
domipan: by the discovery and prosecution OF 'he
..,i.a, s-h.rie-; that by cod-fshing ia the Amer
lean scar the navy Of France became formidable 10
ALI Europe and that the New-England fishermen con-
n.H rIya.