The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-05-12
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND
FRIDAY, MAY II, 1871.
The Question of the Fisheries.

So influential Democratic organ as the
New York World having declared that it is
prepared to give hearty support to the
treaty framed by the High Commission anu
Justice Nelson, one of the COMMISSIONERS
being Democrat, it is evident that Tue Con
servatives cannot make party issue W oui.
ing in opposition to its ratlnehlioh. ~ +"
quite certain, too, that there VIII ce little OPP
position from Republicans. 1t Is minated
that Senator Summer may be inclined to view
the adjustment unfavorably, but even the
weight of his great name will be insufficient
to create any considerable hostility to the
treaty, since it will be generally held, whether
rightly or not, that he is governed by motives
of personal animosity. The defeat of the
settlement suggested by the Joint Commits
sion will, if it is defeated at all, be due to
Canadian influence. The people of the Do
minion do not feel willing to exchange their
fishing privilege for ours, even whom 1t Is pro-
vided that in case their concession is found TO
be the most valuable the difference shall be
paid in money. They demand in return for
the grant of the unrestricted right to fish in
their waters that commercial reciprocity that
was 80 beneficial to them while it lasted and
for the loss of which they have never ceased
to mourn.
1t seems to US that the Dominion is unrea-
sonable and unwise in this matter. To say
nothing of the constant danger of conflicts
between our fishermen and the Dominion au-
thOrities-conflicts extremely liable to result
In war that must from the nature of the
case result more disastrously to that country
than to- any other-what are the equities Of
the case? The Provincial fisheries, which
were possessed and enjoyed by the French
many years before the settlement of the
Eniled States, were rescued from France and
given TO England by the valor and the blood
of NeW England citizens. Accordingly, after
tho close OF The Revolutionary struggle, our
people peremptorily refused any settlement
that did not recognize their ancient rights
to full and unrestrained enjoyment of the
fisheries off the coasts of the British Prov
inces. The treaty of 1888 gave to Amer
leans the same right to fish that they had be-
fore the war. But after the war of 1912 the
I<uSloA uCCiAIcu tudt MI OuE lOTlIl6I TIyQLN
had been waived, and that a new agreement
must be made. Our side of the case does not
appear at this time to have been supported
with any vigor, and the treaty of 1918 con-
tanned clause forbidding our fishermen to
follow their vocation within three miles of the
shore. 1t is from the ambiguity of this clause,
which even when most literally construed,
was a most disastrous innovation on the nat
ural and prescriptive rights of our people,
has given rise TO all the disputes and semi
hostilities of the last fifty years. The Pro.
vincials persist in SO constituting the treaty as
to make the three mile line run from head
land to headland, so as to keep Americans out
Of the great bays. Up to 1854, when the
reciprocity treaty went into operation, the dis.
putes on this point had several times nearly
reached crisis. OF course Americans had
never consented to the British Interpretation
of the Language of the treaty. Seizures and
other annoyances were frequent, until the
two countries were several times on the verge
of war. For ten years from 1854 there was
of course no difficulty, but on the expiration
of the reciprocity treaty the Provineials again
put forward their unreasonable claim and
acted upon it. A system of licenses, to which
our fishermen quietly submitted, having
proved unsatisfactory, last year the imperial
government cO-operated with the Dominion
in making seizures, to the great evaporation
of our fishermen and of all the citizens Of
this country who have informed Themselves
as to the merits of the case. If the treaty is
defeated on account of Its provisions respect
ing the fisheries, it will probably be the oeca.
sion of as much regret in the long run to the
Canadians as to any one else.