The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-06-02

General Butler on the New Treaty.
Gen. B. F. Butler is trying to array the
New England States against the new treaty.
On the 22d he read to the Committee on Fed
eral Relations of the Massachusetts Legisla-
ture, a letter which he had addressed to his
son-in-Iaw, Senator AAEs, of Mississippi,
setting forth his reasons for condemning the
new treaty. 1t Will be remembered that for
some time Gen. Butler has manifested dis
position to provoke, if possible, war with
Great Britain. It is evident that his ''voice
is still for war" The Following synopsis of
his pamphlet of twenty-four pages is given in
a special to the Philadelphia Press:
.sAIr. Butler first criticises the settlement
of the fishery question, in which he says
'Out Of the 100000 barrels of mackerel caught
between cape May, or the 39th parallel and
the northern extent of their limit, By our
fishermen, only some 10000 barrels were taken
last wear east of Maine in all waters, British
or other. In frankness it should be stated
that owing to the annoyances our fishermen
have suffered, and from other special causes
that catch was smaller then usual, but it may
be safely put at an average not much exceed
ing $4,000 barrels.
SDuring the reciprocity treaty, and since its
arrogation, when fishing under full British
license, our fishermen took something less than
one-ffth their catch within the three-mile line
! chat the amonnt of the concession by the
present treaty to US is the right of Great Brit
ain TO five thousand barrels of mackeral when
syviuuninz,in the sea within three miles of
her shores. Now, as fishing Is only about a
| Is per cent business, OF, in other words, as So
per cent Of the value of fish taken consists in
the use of capital employed, labor expended
! In taking curing, packing, and preparing for
market, IT will be seen how lnconsiderable is
the right actually attempted to be ceded to us
by the present treaty It's extent is, in fact.
when reduced to money value, from $1,000 to
81. coo annually only" In this connection the
General continues: ~ see it stated, in what
nurports to be the protocol to the treaty. that
| the American commissioners opened the nego-
tations with an offer to pay Sl,000,00O in gold
| for tLis right, or $4,000 annually for all time
for the right which Nova Scotia offered to sell
and did sell for 81, 900 year. Where our com
missioners got their extraordinary valuations
it Is difficult to conjecture.
alt is not wonderful that the English COM
missioners thought they had something too
valuable to dispose of, when Yankees would
| offer a million dollars for the right to begin
with. AS the Englishmen had Interior objects
/ to be gained, they would put no money value
upon the fisheries, as they intended 70 force
/ open our ports by all means"
Further, Gen. Butler saws: ssIt cost the
British government S80O,000 to guard tbe rigbt
of a value Of $1,000 per annunl, which amount
| viii be saved by the ratification Of the treaty
to the Imperial Government and its adiuncts.
We are, by the provisions of the treaty, in
| exchange to permit for this 81, 900 all British
fisherman to fish in all our waters for all kinds
of fish except shell fish and river fish and to
land on our shores to cure their fish and dry
their nets from the 45th to the seth parallel,
or from EastpoFt to the Delaware Bay" The
opening Of our ports to British fish free of du-
/ tv, and competition with British bounty of one
dollar per quintal and French bounty Of ten
francs, and other features Of the treaty, the
| General believes will substantially ruin our
fishing interests.
In concluding this view of the fishery aues-
tion, the General Buffers says: "I grieve, there
/ fore, that so complete an abandonment of A
merican fishing interests should have been
made by our commissioners, and l trust the
Senate viii not ratify this portion of the treaty
unless there shall be found another portion Of
sufficiently coUntervailing the advantages, so we
can afford this great loss. It is expressly
stated in the protocol, however, that the fishery
questions were considered by themsalves.D
The remainder of Mr.. Buffers letter is deyo-
Too "a the settlement for the depredations on
a American -,raefce, the navigation Of the st.
Lawrence. and other L. stteEs eRbraced in the
treaty, all of which be criNcises in no approv.
cd spirit,