Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-05-30
Views Of General Batter en- tho New
Treaty.

BosroN, May 22.-General Butler
appeared before the Legislative Com,
mittee on Federal Relations and read
a letter, making a twenty-iour-Page
pamphlet, which he had addressed 70
his son-in-law, Senator Ames, Oh MIS-
sissippi, in which he elab0rately re-
views and generally condemns the
treaty Of Washington.
Mr.. Butler first criticises the settle
ment of the fishery question, In which
he says:
"Out Of the four hundred thousand
barrels of mackerel caught between
Cape May or the th%irty-ninth parallel
and the northern extent Of their limit
by our fishermen, only some $4,000
barrels were taken last year 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 than
usual, but it may be safely put ut an
average not much exceeding 3N,OOo
barrels. 8,
"During the reciprocity treaty, and
| since its abrogation, when fishing I'M
der full British license, our fishermen
took something less than one-fitth their
catch within the three-mile line. so
that the amount of the concession by
the present treaty to us Is the right OF
Great Britain to 5000 barrels of mack
erel when swimming in the sea within
three miles Of her shores. Now, rs
fishing Is only about r fifteen per cent.
business, or, In other words, rs eighty
five 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, 1t
will be seen how inconslderable Is the
right actually attempted TO be coded
to us by the present treaty. Its extent
is, in fact, when reduced to MONEY
value. from 5000 to $1,000 annually
only" In this connection the General
continues: II SEQ 1t stated, In what
purports to be the protocol to the
treaty, that the American Commits
sioners opened the negotiations with
an offer to pay 81, OO0, 900 in gold for
this right, or 800, 900 annually for all
time for the right which Nova Scotia
offered to sell and did sell for $1,000 a
year. Where our Commissioners got
their extraordinary valuations 1t Is
difficult to conjecture.
at Is not wonderful that the Eng
lish Commissioners thought they had
something too offer q 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 In.
tended to force open N ports by all
means"
Further, General Butler says: "lt
cost the British Government $SOO,0OC
to guard the right of 4 value of $1,000
per annum, which amount will be
saved by the ratification of the treaty
to the Imperial Government ana It's
adjuncts. We are, by the provisions
Of the treaty, IN exchange to permit
for this 81, 900 all British fishermen to
fish In all our waters for all kinds OIL
fish except she'll fish and river fish,
and to land OH our shores to cure their
fish, and to land on our shores to cure
their fish and dry their nets from the
10th to the 10th parallel, or from East
port to the Delaware Bay" The
opening Of our ports to British fish
free Of duty and competition with
British bounty of M dollar per quin-
til and French bounty of ten francs,
and other features Of the treaty, the
General believes will substantially
ruin our fishing interests.
In concluding this review OF the fish
cry question. General Butler says 81
grieve, therefore, that so complete an
abandonment Of American fishing In
terests should have been made by our
Commissioners, and | trust the Senate
will not ratify this portion Of the treaty
unless there shall be found another
portion sufficiently countervailing the
advantages, so we can afford this great
loss. It Is expressly stated in the pro-
tocol, however, that the fishery Ques.
tions were considered by themselves"
The remainder Of Mr.. Buffers letter
ia devoted to the settlement for the
bdcpredations on American commerce,
the navigation of the st. Lawrence,
and other matters embraced in the
treaty, all of which he criticises in no
,N,royi,io cpirif