The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-16
The Fisheries Question.
From the World.

We suggested the other day a solution of the
fishery dispute that has arisen out of the abro-
CATION of our Reciprocity treaty with the
British Provinces north of us, which seems to
us more peaceful and feasible than any other.
That suggestion was, that our neighbors in the
Provinces should await, as the South is doing,
the return of reason and good sense in
the politics of the United States. When
that time comes, and IL cannot be long
delayed-for fanaticiSm will not always reign
Ia treaty of reciprocity will be entered into,
more liberal and judicous than the one
which has Just been abolished. Meanwhile,
let the Provinces impose hight tonnage tax
upon American fishermen. The best of them
will pay 1t gladly, aud they will be more efficient
than the whole British navy. in keeping off
those who do not, and who, for the sake of a
mack erel catch, would emDroil us In a quarrel.
We observe in the columns of some OF our con-
temporaries a tendency to push our Govern
ment into extreme ground upon the subject.
What the Rump Congress may do, no man can
tell; but the country has reason to believe that
the Executive will suffer himself to be driven
INTO no position not tenable under the strictest
construction of the law of nations. .4.... .-,
Under the common theory that Government
is master OF its territory to the extent of can
non-shot, or three marine miles, from it's shore,
1t would follow that our fishermen have q right
to enter and fish in any bay the mouth OF which
is more than six miles wide. But besides that,
lue luSuUT6 uSueTlCS are luG NuludDI6 US0GTlcS on
the Northern coast and besides that the mea
surement of distances on the sea is not very likely
to be accurately done by Yankee fisherman in q
tog who is intent on herring, the advocates ofex-
treme measures will do well to remember that,
whatever1ule our Government were to insist upon
as against the Provinces, it must stand ready to
accept as against ourselves. All treaties being at
an end, the rights acql4ed by treaty fall with
them; and now the rights we claim under the
law OF nations for American fishermen in the
provincial bays, we must stand ready to con-
cede under the law OF nations to British and
French and Spanish craft IN our own bals.
Says Kent:-"The executive authority OF this
country in 1893 considered the whole of Della
ware Bay to be within our territorial jurisdic-
tion, and it rested its claim upon those authori-
ties which admit that CULTS, channels, and arms
OF the sea belong to people with whose land they
are encompassed. 1t was intimated that the law
of nations would justify the United States in
attaching to their coasts an extent into the
sea beyond the reach of cannon shot Con-
sidering the great extent of the line
OF the American coasts, we have a right to claim
tor fiscal and defensive regulations liberal ex.
tension of maritime jurisdiction; and it would
not be unreasonable, as / apprebend to assume
Tor domestic purposes connected with our safety
and welfare, the control of the waters on our
! coast, though included within lines stretching
from quite distant headlands, as, for instance
from Cape Ann TO Cape Cod, and from Nan
| tucket to Montauk PoiDt and from that point to
| the Capes of the Delaware, and from the South
| Cape OF Florida to the Mississippi
It behooves us to consider, therefore, and We
| make no doubt that President Johnson has
already considered, whether it is worth while
| to proclaim our surrender of exclusive jurisdic
ton and control over Long Island and Albe
marie sounds, the Delaware and Chesapeake
bays, Boston harbor, and the Bay of San Fran
! cisco, Tor the sake of pushing our fishermen
| into these Northern harbors-when an avoid
ance OF such Surrender is possible, when th'
| peaceabie continuance of our Northern tishere
is possible, by some such simple and tempo
L nTNNIG
| vinces of light tonnage tax on all American
| vessels which seek their inshore fishing grounds