The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-04-02

lutionists We must wait patiently, then, for
the next fall elections
The Present Position OF tho Question Of
tho Fisheries.
Orders have issued from the Navy Depart
ment for the preparation Of feet of fifteen
vessels-ofwar, including two or three iron
clads, for service in the waters Of British
North America with a view to difficulties likely
to arise in the fisheries, as a consequence Of
the recent abrogation Of the Reciprocity treaty.
Some of these vessels are to sail at once, others
are to be held in readiness in case there should
be necessity for the exhibition Of greater
force. The fact Of this naval preparation is
important, as it indicates the disposition OF
the government to be ready for any emergency
in this matter, and to take firm ground on
question involving rights secured to our people
by treaty. If the British government shall act
on this occasion in the same arrogant spirit
that 1t has 80 oftsn displayed against us, the
question of the fisheries win complicate the
relations of the two countries far more seri-
ously than did all the sharp discussion Of the
acts of British pirates against our commerce.
In order to see exactly where we stand at
present on this topic it is necessary to glance
hastily at the diplomatic history Of the fisheries
as between England and the United States.
England derives her first right to the fisheries
from the discovery ofNewfoundland by Cabot,
in l497, and Its colonization by Sir Humphrey
Gilbert in 1888 They became subject Of
fierce contention between England and France
and France secured many advantages, but was
finally driven out, not by England, but by
colonists owing allegiance to the British
Crown. The fisheries were the first New
England industry, and in ITS the Parliament,
in the hope to subdue the rebellious spirit in
New England, passed law depriving the in
habitants of that section of their rights in the
fisheries. Upon the negotiations for peace in
1888 John Adams positively repudiated the Brit
ish propositions looking to our exclusion from
tho fisheries or the limitation of our rights, and
made the concession Of those rights an ultima
tum. Our rights were therefore broadly, clearly
and positively acknowledged in these words
"The people of the United States shall continue
to enjoy unmolested the right to take fish Of
every kind on the Grand Bank and on all the
other banks Of Newfoundland; also In the Gulf
ofSL Lawrence, and at all other places in the
sea where the inhabitants Of both countries
used at any time heretofore to fish; and also
liberty to take fish of every kind on such part
of the coast Of Newfoundland as British fisher
men shall use, and also on the coasts, bays and
creeks of all other of his Britannia Majesty's
dominions in America"
England's acts on this matter have ever since
been stimulated by desire to lessen the effect
of this admission or TO avoid 1t altogether. In
that spirit her commissioners brought II up In
the negotiations for the peace that followed the
war of 1912. They were then eager that we
should relinquish the concession of 1888; but
we were 30 firm in the matter that our commits
sionsrs were instructed to discontinue the ne
gotiation rather than admit to discussion such
REIMBURSEMENT. And yet despite this the Brit
ish government maintained thereafter that the
mere occurrence Of the hostilites Of 1912 had
abrogated the arrangement of 1888. This diff
ference resulted In q convention on the subject
in 1918, by which our rights were considerably
limited. II was then agreed that we should
not fish within three marine miles Of the Brit
ish dominions, except in certain specified places
on the southern coast OF Newfoundland and Lab
rador. Disputes arose as to the Interpretation
OF this article. Although the Bay Of Fundy IL
sixty miles across II was held by the English
that we could not fish in II under the three
mile rule, because the coast line must not fol-
low the coast into such bays, but must be un.
derstood rs drawn from headland to headland
across the mouth Of the bay. Under such an
outrageous view Of the law on one side, Of
course many DIFFICULTIES occurred, and in 1851
II was deemed necessary to despatch men-of
war to .ae scene. II was then not remote
possibility that this topic would involve ths
two countries In war. l
al those troubles We're gotten over in 1876
, BY the settlement msshAAa IN the Reciprocit
treaty, in which I, was agreed that "the ia
habitan,s Of the United States shall have, 4
common with the subjects OF her BritaxnI
Msiestv. ,n,s liberty 10 take fsh Of every kiua
except she'll ds6, on the scseOass aud shores
and In the bays, harbors and creeks Of Canads
New Brunswick. Nova Scotia, Prince Edwsr
slsnd and of We several islands thsrsunt