The weekly clarion., 1870-12-15

fort OF the HUDSON Bay Company snoulC
continue for the present l deem it impor-
: tant. however, that this part of the bound
! airy line should be definitely fixed by a joint
commission of the two Governments; and
( submit herewith estimates of the expense
| of such com mmission on the part Of the
; United States and recommend that an ap-
! preparation be made for that purpose The
. land boundary has already been fixed and
. marked, from the summitof the Rocky
Mountains to the Georgian Bay; Il should
Lake of the WOODS to the sulamit oi
. the Rocky Mountains. / regret to say
that no conclusion has been reach
ed for the adjustment of the claims
course adopted by that Government during
the rebellion. The Cabinet Of London, so
far as its views have been expressed, does
not appear 10 be willing to concede that her
Majesty's Gov srnment was guilty OF any
negligence, or did or permitted any act du-
ring the war by which the United States
bad just cause of complaint. Our firm and
| unalterable convictions are directly the re-
] verse. therefore recommend TO Congress
to authorize the appointment of a commits
sion TO take proof of the amounts and of the
| ownership of the several claims on notice to
| the representative of her Majesty at Wash
| ington, and that authority be given for the
! settlement of these claims by the United
| States, so that the Government shall have
! the ownership of the private claims. as well
as the responsible control of all the demands
1 against Great Britain. 1t cannot be necessa-
ry TO add that whenever her Majesty's Gov
ernment shall entertain a desire for full
and friendly adjustment OF these claims the
| United States will enter upon their cOnsid-
Grafton with an earnest desire for q conclu-
sion consistent with the honor and dignity
of both nations. The course pursued by the
Canadian authorities against the United
| States during the past season has not been
marked by friendly feeling. By the first
article of the convention of 1915, between
Great Britain and the United States, it was
agreed chat the inhabitants of the United
States should have forever. in common with
British subjects, the right of taking fish in
certain waters therein defined. The waters
not included i'm the limits named in the con-
VentiOn were those within three miles 90
the ports of the British coast. 1t has been
the custom for many years to give to intru-
ding fishermen of the United States a rea-
sonable warning of the violation of the tech
nical rights of Great Britain. The imperi-
nj Government is understood to have dele
gated the whole or a share of its jurisdic-
ton or control of these inshore fishing
grounds to the colonial authorithy known
as the Dominion of Canada, and this semi
Independent but irresponsible agent has ex-
ercised its delegated powers in an unfriend-
ly way.
or warning, in violation of the custom pre-
viously prevailing, and have been taken in
to the colonial ports. their voyages broken
up, and the vessels condemned. There is
reason to believe that this unfriendly and
ve1 atious treatment was designed to bear
harshly upon the hardy fishermen of the
United States, with view To political effect
upon this Government. The statutes of the
Dominion of Canada assume still broader
and more untenable jurisdiction over the
vessels of the United States. They author
iZe officers or persons to bring vessels how
ering within three marine miles of any of
the coasts, bays, creeks or harbors of Cana
da into port to search the cargo, to examine
the master on oath touching the cargo and
voyage, and to infiict upon him heavy pc
cuniary penalty if true answers are not Civ |
en-; and if such a vessel is found "prepar-
ing to fish F" within three marine miles of
any of such coasts, bays. creeks or harbOrs |
without license or after the expiration of
the period named in the last license granted |
to it, they provide that the vessel, with her |
tackle, etc, shall be forfeited. 1t is not |
known that any condemnations haye been |
made under this statute. Should the au-
.thorities OF Canada attempt to enforce it. |
it will become my duty to take such steps
as may be necessary TO protect the rights |
of the citizens of the United States. 1t has |
been claimed by her Majesty's officers that |
the fishing vessels of the United States have |
no right to enter the open ports of the Brit |
ish possession insNOrth America, except for |
the purpose of shelter and repairing dam |
ages, of purchasing wood and obtaining |
water; that they have no right to enter at
the British custom houses or to trade there |
except in the purchase of wood and water |
and that they must depart within twenty |
four hours after notice to leave. It is not |
known that any seiZnre of a fishing vessel |
carrying the flag of the United States has |
been madeunder this claim. So far as the |
claim is founded on an alleged construction |
of the convention of 1S1S it cannot be ac- |
quiesced in by the United States; it |
is hoped that il will not be insisted |
on by her Majesty's Government. |
During the conference which pre-
ceeded the negotiation of the conYen- |
ton of 1918, the British Commissioners pro-
posed to expressly exclude the fishermen of |
the United States from the privilege of car |
rving on trade with any of her Brtanic |
Majesty's subjects living within the limits |
assigned for their use, and also that it should |
not be lawful for the vessels of the United |
States, engaged in said fishery, to have on |
board any goods, wares or merchandise |
whatever except such as are necessary for |
the prosecution of their voyage TO and from |
said fishing grounds, and any vessel of the |
United States which shall contravene this |
regulation shall be seized, condemned and |
confiscated with her cargo" This PROPOSE |
ton, which is identical with the construc- |
ton now put upon the language OF the con-
vention, was EN- phatically rejected by the |
American commissioners. and was thereup
on abandoned by the British plenpotentia- |
ries, and article 1, as 1t now stands IN the |
convention, was substituted. Ii, however, |
lI De RalQ LilaL the CldlLu lie IOuuQeu on pro-
vincial or colonial statutes, and not upon |
the convention, this Government cannot but |
regard them as unfriendly and in contra |
vention of the spirit, if not of the letter, of
the treaty, for the faithful execution of
which the imperial Government alone is re- |
sponsible. Anticipating that an attempt |
may possibly be made by the Canadian au-
thorities in the coming season to repeat their |
unneighbOrly acts towards our fishermen, |
recommend you to confer upon the execu- |
L. IL
the operation of the law authorizing the |
transit of goods, wares and merchandise |
in bond across the territory of the United /
States to Canada; and, further, should such |
an extreme measure become necessary TO /
suspend the operation of any law whereby |
the vessels of the Dominion of Canada are |
permitted to enter the waters of the United |
States.
A like unfriendly disposition has been
manifested on the part of Canada in the |
maintenance of claim of right to exclude /
the citizens of the United States from the |
navigation of the st. Lawrence. This river |
constitutes natural outlet TO the ocean for /
eight States with an aggregate population /
OF about l3'6OOOOO inhabitants, with an ag-
gregate tonnage of 66l,367 tons upon the |
waters which discharge into IL.
The foreign commerce of our ports on /
these waters is open 20 British competition |
and the major part of it Is done in British /
bottoms. If the American seamen be ex-
cluded from the natural avenue to the
ocean, the monopoly of the direct commerce
of the lake ports with the Atlantic would /
be in foreign hands, their vessels on trans /
Atlantic voyages having an access TO our |
lake ports, which would be denied to Amer |
lean vessels on similar voyages. To state /
such a proposition is to refute its Justice /
During the administration of Mr.. John |
Quincy Adams. Mr. Clay unanswerably /
demonstrated the natural right of the citi-
iZens ofthe United States to the navigation |
of this river, claiming that the act of the |
Congress of Vienna in opening the Rhine
and other rivers to all nations showed the |