The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-03-10

| AMERICAN PARTICIPATION IN CANADIAN FISHERIES
From special report of w. r. Whitcher, Esq, heat
Of the fisheries branch Of the Canadian Crown Lands
Department:-The next following figures, well o.
those given in the return Of june 1854 COPIED in Mr.
Harveys Essay" page n refer solely to fishing carried
within the disputed limits TO which, by the reciprocity
treaty Americans admitted In other parts the
Der Of about thousand four hundred and fifty pursue
deep fishing under previous treaty But 1t fol
the mackere fishery shore about the Magdaen Islands
Gaspe Antcos and the mouth of tho St. Lawrence that
the concessions made in 1854 were most desirable
LOWER CANADA
In 1864 there were 232 United States vessels Of an
aggregate tonnage Of 900 tons manned by 1913 men,
engaged in the nshore fisheries Of the Magdaen Islands
and gulf and river st. Lawrence They took $3.50 $50
value of fish, chiefly mackerel In 1865 there 3S7
vessels Of 81 lS6 TONS and $500 men, participating In
the same fisheries The value OF their take 1857 80
and high price of fish which ruled throughout
1865, and the practical failure of cod fishing.
%s wne they show Ss o.
rebellion, reflect also the past returns and indicate
that the .paucty of fishing vessels rcsortng to Lower
Canadian waters since 1Sf0 really due to the low price
of fish and the disturbance OF trade rather than to any
scarcity dmnuon Of the supply from which Ameri-
can fishermen obtain flares"
UPPER CANADA
Although the terms Of the treaty not applicable
to the fisheries Of Upper Canada, American vessels and
fishermen, uniting fishery pursuits with trading,
admitted to the waters and shores Of Lakes Ontario,
Ere Huron and Superior, and, us far be ascer-
Although the herring pckere sturgeon lake salmon and
other fisheries pursued, their chief pursuit the
white fish and salmon front fishery From 1852 TO 1854
scarcely single American fishing vessel frequened these
lakes Foreign fishermen were by law excluded In
1856 there but three American vessels about these
grounds and they bartered goods for fish, but to what
extern. Is known. In 1855 there fifteen vessels
most of which carried on fishing, aud took away with
them $40 2l3 value of fish. In 1857 there wero thirteen
sses fishing and trading; the of the fish caught
and bought by them being SEQ 000 In 1858 there wee
eleven vessels which took sss l42 worth of fish In 1859
there seventeen, which captured and bought fish
the value OF $97,2l3 In 1860 the fish trade dull
and only nine vessels entered into IT. catching but
lshed taking not than 81 900 worth In 1852 and
1858 there regularly aged and four vessels
trading bought up In these two years. about $4,000
worth Of fish In 1864 there eight vessels in the
business, taking S53 900 worth. In 1865 there
twenty-five vessels fishing and trading and owing to the
high price Of fish the value taken away was Sl57 504
GENERAL REMARKS.
In Lower Canada waters American fishing vessels have
been allowed further access 10 the nshore fisheries than
literal Interpretation Of the Reciprocity treaty would
eno them TO- Article restricts them to s'sea
1shing'-that H. the deep fishing, and excludes
them fisheries in rivers and mouths Of rivers Tho
river ST. Lawrence held by the old Dutch, French
and English ogrnphers, and ny the early French
piorcr, to be disingu shed from the Gulf OF St.
Lawrence by the head lands OF Gaspe Anticost and St.
John Tho river It Lawrence there joined the Gulf Of ST.
Lawrence open Desiring to give liberal con-
structon TO the OF the treaty the Imperial COM
missioner assen,cd the special definition Of the mouth
of the IT. Lawrence line drawn from Point
dos Monts to Cape de Chattc. Thus was conceded to
American fishermen (under the treaty. tho free of
those extensive and valuable cod mackcre and herring
fishing grounds around the island of Antcos all along
o o os up a VI. eIs psnss s'. ~ On .ne
between Long Point and Trinity Bay and A. cnce down
tho soutb coast where tho sca and ong shora os.,es
are pecuiiny accessible and highly and whore
hsrl,o,s arc frcnnen, and safe and Tho ;r
shore shngs thus opened to United States Subjects
dor tho Mnrialen Islands and (asne excee coast linz
OF six hundred miles Then as regards tho waters of
Upper canada II could never he pretended that tho
term seen fishery, snnes 10 these inland Ike Ne,
Americans have fishcd and traded all along the shores
and among tho islands OF tue great lakes and their par
fi,lp nl Inl Dpfa Ee H,tr<.
and superior has been restricted only by the laws and
regulations to which our fishermen nre obliged 10 confor,
wire United states vessels DENIED cp,yanoe ,o the
island and coast harhors of these akes and their
men precudcd from landing. no fishery Whatever and
no trade could be carried on by them in any of the
waters of INNER Canada l'raclcailv Americans have
under the Reciprocity treaty boh m Inner and
lever Canad, waters common nr,ycue y, Gs, ""u
which nothing BIT the most far aud liberal policy on
the part OF Canadians could admit Of Significant fact.
no. single Canal an vessel and no, ao ,arv Canaian
sherman have entered American waters to pursue The
'tcciprocai advantages which the second article
of the treaty nominalIy extends 10 British suh
jcrts Induced by the largo Weld of last season
and high prices and the prospect Of abundance thi,
wear the building OF vessels for the sprlng and
of the Sin,c OF Massachusetts particularly al oucesor
where some seven hundred vessels ars reported as i'm
curse Of equipment for next seasons fishery
Not all o. these but majority expect 10 tsh In British
waters
1ug rrLrgArrs pyyu-r THE AMERICAN rpo,os,r,,y A. .
WHOLE NV ''
TrE-pAY Feb g. 1866
The Delegates again met the commltie,
Mr. GALT-we have received from yor the memoran.
dam containing the views Of the committee and am
bound to say that Us general enor produces in us feel
iuu of disapooiutnenc We have howeyer 10 ask Won
ono or Two questions as 10 whit Won wish us 10 updcr
stand by your proposal Is IL Proposed thai tho AIRS,
three par,a of a. refcrrn 10 The NAVIGATION the tr,st
trade and tn. AS RES should be considered al par,te
and tnc or are they part Of one combined PROPOSE
liory
NJ Mo-nIr--Tfat. gentlemen. is lust as Won plcase
We have mad, orr proposal: OF course we do NOT ,sk
Won TO a ce,,t any more OF Il than yol Ike
Mr. Gnr-Yo, will see the bearing of the question:
pcraps some parts of the NAV be
otlrcrs not
Mr MonRItr-Of course we do not wisb 10 be hound
with reference 10 the ianeua 20 used
General GarFrpT md rstand Mr. t,at 10 ask ~ the
proposition T. iniivsib or whether one or more parts
can be stricken on. ard The others remain
Mr. GALr--prccs w.
Mr. MoERIt-Thcy were not considered as combined
propostons nor us separate propositions We wished
20 20 through the topcs embraced IN the Reciprocity
treaty and did So
o,,,,t,oe x,i,,, 49, ~ -, -, - 49,. $3.50 Nv