The Portland daily press., 1868-05-08
HOUSE.

| of "a ton on American fishing vessels and t
send vessels of war to enforce that tax; there
| fore it was proper that the American Govern
| ment should send We ssels of war to protec
American interests
A large running debate ensued on the reso
luton.
Mr~BeHjamin inquired whether the Presi
dent mad not that authority already.
Mr.. Pike said he had, and this was but re
quest for him to use it.
Mr.. Pike went on to explain that the thirt
article of the treaty of Paris recognized Ger
tain rights of American fishermen to fish
where they had been accustomed to exercise
those rights till the Convention of 1915 THAI
at that Convention the American Government
for certain reasons yielded the right to fisI
within three miles of certain coasts and tina
the question was whether that limit of three
miles should be from headland to headlan1
as contsnded for by the Provincial authorities
or should follow the indentations of che coast
as contended for by the American fishermen
Mr.. Washburne of Illinois remarked that
this was one of those matters that should be
fully considered, for it certainly implied that i
the government should get into a difficulty OIL
tne subject 1t might be serious one. The
last part OF the resolution provided that no
greater punishment should be allowed than
was proportIonate to the pecuniary damages
occasoned. Who was to be the Judge of that
to whom was that great power to be confided ?
THESE were questions which should be very
was passed. He doubted very much the pro-
priety of passing it without knowing more on
the subject.
Mr.. Chanler opposed the resolution. The
hshing along the coast of New England had
ceased to be in the hands of fishermen and had
fallen into the hands of monopolists, who by
organizing large steam vessels were absorbing
the hshIng interests. That was the case
around Cape Cod, and it extended also to the
Gulf OF st. Lawrence. This resolution there
lore was intended to protect such fishing mo-
nopoHes. Another object to be given to the
increased value TO those small iron clad YES
sells which Government had been selling, and
make it necessary to repurchase them .s.7-
Mr- Butler spoke i've minutes in support of
ehe resolution. 1t was simply that American
nshermen in those waters should have fair play;
1t was not declaration of war; there would
be no trouble arising out of it, The President
did not propose to interfere unless there was
some expression OF opinion on the part of Con-
greis. 1t was but the usual course adopted by
Great Brain and other nations to protect the
interests of their citizens
Mr.. Washburne, of Illinois, inquired what
tribunal was to decide on the amount of pc
cuniary damages. -s-..
Mr.. Butler replied that when an American
vessel was carried in by the provisional author
tiles, there would be a naval officer represent
ing the United States, and when an American
vessel OF war see a colonial cutter coming up
to carry in fishing vessel because she has
caught fish within three miles of tie shore, the
American officer would say, you cannot take
that vessel for contiscation; / will accompany
you in and be responsible for her damage or
what wrong has been done.
Mr. benjamin expressed the opinion that it
would be inexpedient to pass the resolution; if
a necessity exists for sending more naval YES
sells to the fishing banks, the authority was
ample to do it,; if the President refused to do
i, congress should, by law, direct it to be done
instead OF requesting him; the effect of pass
ing the resolution would simply be to allow the
secretary OF the Navy, if any difficulty grew
ton. frg lla
=, MIR. Pike made some further observations on
the subject of the resolution. In the course
u them he said: The small fishermen cannot
ngnt the authority of Great Britain; the Amer
can government should do it. War, who is
out that our laws shall be enforced; are you
afraid to enforce them? If you are hope you
VIII vote down the resolution Mr. Pike final
y moved the previous question.
Mr.. Spaulding moved an amendment to the
resolution so as to make it read, That the Pres
ldent be requested to send a sufficient number
Of vessels of war to the fishing grounds in the
Gulf OF st. Lawrence, adjacent to the British
provinces, for the purpose of protecting Amer
ican vessels in the exercise of their rights as
indicated in the existing treaties. u $50 =
The previous question was seconded
MIR. Benjamin moved to lay the resolution
and amendment on the table, which was re-
jected-51 to rs. I''77 =
Mr. Pike being entitled to close the debate,
proceeded to make speech, in which he con-
trasted the statistics of American shipping and
commerce with the statistics of former periods,
attributlng the decay to the high tariff on all
materials entering into ship building and to
high taxes generally. He referred to the fact
tnat Congress had removed taxation from the
rich manufacturers of the country and had
tailed fbn i,,fa 81 ~
Mr.. Myers desired chance of replying to
the remarks of Mr.. Pike on that point.
Mr.. Pike declined to yield, stating he was
familiar from his boyhood with the argument
which the gentleman desired to make. He
had used that tariff argument himself ever
since he had learned to talk in public. He had
been proectionist in his day, and had tried
to persuade the people that if the rich were
protected, the rich would protect the poor and
mat II the rich manufacturers were protected
communities of poor men would grow up
around the manufacturers which would re-
celve the drizzle of protection that filtered
through their rich employers. He was getting
somewhat over that notion, (laughter); he was
getting cured of that idea; he had come to
THINK that the laws needed some refining in
that particular, and that instead of going for
a higher tariff there should be reasonable
tariff, founded on reasonable principles
Mr.. Myers expressed hope that Mr.. Pike
v,
Mr.. Pike declined to yield, and then said
Mr.. Myers, "The gentlen is afraid to yield"
10 this remark Mr.. Pike retorted something
which was only heard in his immediate vicin-
ity. ou
Mr.. Schofeld laughingly called him to order.
Why, said Mr.. Pike, remonstratively, he
called me coward, and have right to re-
tort.
Mr.. Myers inquired what the remark was.
The Speaker replied he had not head it.
Some member suggested in fun that the
words be taken down. M
Mr.. Pike remarked that Mr.. Myers oupht
not to say that he was afraid to meet him in
debate. He then went on to say that the de-
cay OF American shipping was caused by the
tariff. 1t costs, said he, two dollars to build a
vessel in American ports where it can be done
for one dollar in English ports. 1t costs $780,
600 to set a one thousand ton ship afloat in
New York, and but $4,000 TO set her afoat in
Liverpool. There is the reason.
Mr.. Miller inquired whether Mr.. Pike was
in favor of free trade in building vessels. s.
ME- Pike-I have stated my proposition
clearly. We must have the articles that go
into ships free of duty or we cannot build
ships. If it be an object to build ships in this
country you must allow ship builders to have
their materials free. = rs
After pretty general discussion on the sub
ject, the amendment offered by Mr.. Spaulding
was agreed to, and the joint resolution as thus
modified was passed.
Mr.. Stevens, from the Committee on Recon-
structlon, reported that -a,
Whereas, The people of Arkansas have
adopted Constitution of State government,
republican in form, and duly ratified the 14th
amendment of the Constitution,
1t is hereby enacted, That the State of Ar
kansas is entitled and admitted to representa-
ton in Congress as one of the States of the
Union upon the following fundamental condi-
tons: That the Constitution of Arkars as
shall not be so amended or changed as to
deprive any citizen or class of citizens of the
United States of the right to vote who are en-
titled to vote by the Constitution herein recog-
nized, except as punishment for such crimes
as are now felonies at common law, whereof
he shall have been duly convicted
Ordered to be printed and recommitted.
The House proceeded to the consideration of
the bill to prevent the further sale of lands OF
the United States, except as provided for in
the preemption and homestead laws, and the
laws for disposing of town sites and mineral
lands. &. @
Messrs. briggs and Blair spoke in opposition
thereto, and Donnelly in favor. Adjourned.
MAINE. ~-
THIRD DISTRICT REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.
AUGUSTA, May 1.-THE Republican Conven-