Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-02-07
The Treaty OF Washington.

The Treaty OF Washington.
The Treaty of Washington, concluded lsst
summer, is recently coming into general
public notice again, in connection with the
Geneva Conference (Which is to hear and
determine what are known as the Alabama
claims,) and with the bill now pending in
Congress to carry into effect the articles of the
treaty respecting the fisheries 'Londou news
% pers have just come TO " realizing sense .
IF the magnitude of our claims for the depre-
dsti0ns of the rebel cruisers, by an examina-
tion OF the 8 case +" fled. and presented to
the convention at Geneva, on the part Of the
United States. 1t amazes Engiishmen that
she United States should claim " incidental
damages; and the British government Is
vohemently asked, if such claim is per
sisted IN, to withdraw from the Convention,
and decline to proceed further under these
clauses of the treaty. This is probably only
auster, intended for effect in this country
and It is quite certain that our government
ha- no official information that the gentlemen
representing Great Britain in that convention
have any purpose Of now abandoning the
treaty.
st Washington, just DOW, the provisions
Of the treaty respecting the fisheries are
attracting considerable attention The treaty
provides that British fishermen may bring
fish into our markets free Of duty: that duty
being now fifty cents on every hundred
barrel of mackerel. This clause of the treaty
cannot, however, 60 into operation without
legislation, and Gen. Butler, who is the
especial champion Of the fishing interest, is
preparing to resist the passage Of any such
law. The fishermen are unanimous in the
opinion that, with free trade in fish, their
business is totally destroyed and that they
will either have TO change their base Of opera
tions 70 the provinces, or sell out their vessels
and materials at a great sacrifice, and retire
from the business. If the bounty formerly
given TO fishing vessels were restored, how
ever, they think they might still continue
the business.
This presents several important questions
TO Congress. 1t is difficult to see why ii7a
should be selected as an experiment in free
trade; and this, all the more. d. the business
IS not a very profitable one for the fishermen
1t is, also, Judged unwise by many, to make
this indirect assault on tho tariff and the
principle Of protection If free trade in
f-h can be conceded TO EngIishmen as an
equivalent for some real or supposed adyau-
- o.. 20 tho TTrf+oJ -, 70 ...,r,ov,14.. ~ -
free trade in wool or iron? In 1his con-
nection, it is worth while t. remark that the
history of the secret conferences of the high
commission which negotiated this treaty,
discloses the fact that our government offered
u pay one million Of dollars for the right to
fish in some Of the Canadian waters but
the British members Of that commission
refused to even consider the proposition, or
any proposition that did not include free
trade in fish thus showing that these
Englishmcn were more intent on making n 4
breach in our tariff wall, than upon getting
what was a fair equivalent for all they were
a sked to concede.
From what we learn from Washington it
Toes not seem probable that Congress viii T
approve the old policy Of bountio5 the tariff
nen some Of them at lcast-arc opposed
to attacking protection in this way and
unless the Democratic love Of free trade
should prove stronger than the opposition of
that party to the treaty, it now seems likely
that no legislation will pass this Congress 70
carry into effect the provisions Of the treaty
the fisheries At any rate, when
the question comes up in the House, lively T.
debate may be looked for. as Gen Butler /
will 60 into the fight armed with q mass Of I
statistics to show that we were over-rcachcd .
not only by the fishery clauses n the treaty. .
but by It's provisions generally. We may
End some consolation, however, under such .
a discouraging state Of atfairs-discouragin
to Yankee, who would, as a rule, make as
little objection to being charged with crime, /
as to be suspected of being cheated in
bargain, and that, too, by Britsher /
We may find some consolation IN the state
ment we made at the outset, that the English
papers are now as little satisfied with tn
provisions or the treaty rs We arc.
Our readers will remember that, when the
treaty was first made public, the FREEMAN
took tho ground that its chief almost it's
only merit, was that it settled our differences /
with England without war. and we have
had no reason since, in the working of the
treaty, to change that opinion