The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-22
Treaty of Washington.
Gen. Butler Reviews It.
The South and it's Northern Lion.
Mr. Greeley In Texas.
Evening Gable Quotations.
FROM NEW ENGLAND.
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.
Exclusively 10 The Euening telegraph
Ben Butler and the Treaty of Washington.
BOSTON, May 22-General Butler appeared before
the Legislative Committee on Federal Relations,
and read letter, making twenty-four page pam.
Senator Ames, OF Mississippi, In which he elabo-
rately reviews and generally condemns the treaty Of
Washington. a.
MIR. Butler first criticizes the settlement Of the
fishery question, in which he says "Out of the four
hundred thousand barrels of mackerel caught be-
tween Cape May the thirty-ninth parallel and the
northern extent OF their limit by fishermen, only
some 30 600 barrels were last year taken east OF the
State 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 than
usual, but 1t lnay be safely put at average not
much exceeding 80, 900 barrels
During the reciprocity treaty, aud since its abrO
cation, when fishing under full British license,
fishermen SOCK something less than one-ffth their
catch within the tnreemle lines so that the amount
right OF Great Britain to 5000 barrels OF mackerel
when swimming in the sea within three miles OF her
shores. Now, as fishing is only about l5 per cent.
business Or 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, pack
ing and preparing for market, 1t will be seen how
inconsderable Is the right actually attempted to be
eaee @ extent IS acP 9y wen as to ea
value, from $4,000 to $1,000 annually only" In this
connection the General continues: ~ see 1t stated,
in what purpOrs to be the protocol to the treaty,
that the American commissioners opened the nego-
tations with offer to pay 81 900 in gold for this
TlRHI, OF aOuUUU I'LL IOf G0e T1RlC
which Nova Scotia offered to sell and did sell Tor
$1,000 year. Where our commissioners got their
extraordinary valuations 1t is difficult to conjecture.
SIT is not wonderful that the English commission
ers thought they had something too valuable to dis
pose of, when Yankees would offer million dollars
for the right to begin with. AS the Englishmen had
ulterior objects TO be gained they would put no
money value upon the fisheries, as they intended to
force open our ports by all means.
Further General Butler says:-"lt cost the British
Government 100000 to guard the right of value OF
$1,000 per annum, which amount will be saved by the
ratification of the treaty to the Imperial Government
ana its adjuncts. We are, by the provisions of the
treaty, in exchange to permit for this $1,000 all
British fishermen to fish in all our waters for all
kinds of fish except shell fish and river fish, and to
land shores to cure their fish and dry their
nets from the 45th to the 99th parallel from East
port to the Delaware Bay" The opening of ports
to British fish free OF duty, and competition with
British bounty OF one dollar per quintal and French
bounty OF 10 francs, and other features Of the treaty.
the General believes, will substantially ruin our fish,
ing interests
In concluding this review Of the fishery question:
General Butler sayS:-"I grieve therefore that SO
complete an abandonment OF American fishing inte-
rests should have been made by our commissioners
the treaty, unless there shall be found another por-
ton sufficiently countervailing the advantages, so
we can AFFORD this great loss. 1t is expressly stated
in the protocol, however, that the fishery questions
were considered by themselves"
The remainder OF Mr.. Buffers letter is devoted to
the settlement for the depredatons on American
commerce, the navigation Of the st. Lawrence, and
other matters embraced in the treaty, about all OF
which he criticizes in no approving spirit.