New-York tribune., 1873-07-01
NCyrNT RIGHTS RESTORED.

Under the provisions of the Treaty of Wash
ingtOn, the ancient rights of American citizens
to fish in British Colonial waters are restored
from this day. Second only in Importance to
the claims for damages arising out Of the late
war was the adjustment of the Fisheries Ques-
ton. This was referred TO the Joint High
Commission, and the final adoption of, Articles
XVIII. and XXI. inclusive, disposed forever,
let us hope, of this lonG-standing grievance
The respective rights of the people a gthe
British DOmimons and the United States to
fish in the teeming waters north Of the thirty
sixth parallel and east of the eastern boundary
of the State of Maine, have been IL
ritating questions between the two. coun-,
tries ever since the Rebellion of 1775.
When the treaties which settled the angry
disputes between the young sRepublic~ and
Great Britain were under discussion, the pub
lie excitement on the subject iof zthe fisheries
ran very high. Congress instructed our Com
missioners to Great Britain that no treaty
that did not recognize "the right" of thesin-
habitants of the United States to free andiun-
restricted commerce in ithe seas and fishing
grounds of North America would be ratified.
These instructions were withdrawn, but Mr..
Adams firmly declared that he would never
put his hand to any articles without satisfac
ton about the fisheries. The result was that
Article III. of the Treaty of 1885, stipulated
that the people of the United 'Statessshould
continue to enjoy unmOlested the 'right" to
take fish in all the waters of the British Prov
inces, and to land and cure fish on the Shores
except wheresthes should be settled = This
was cOnceding all that-Our forefathers claimed
We may add that it was more than we have
ever had since that time.
. From 1888 until now there has been much
uufriendiy legislation designed to worry us
into a gradual surrender of, the rights on
which the American Commissioners so stuIdiy
insisted. In the interests of peace, we have
relinquished large share of the rights secured
under the first treaties that were concluded
between the two countries. Great Britain i'm
mediately forbade tbe importation of American
fish TO the West Indies, then a. profitable
branch of trade of the New-Englanders.
During the war of 1912, the distant fishing
grounds were abandoned though not until
the fishermen shad been scared aby British
cruisers. gWhen the Commissioners smetEtb
conclude a.Tresty of Peace, in 1918, the first
serious 4 stumbling block u was :-the Fishery
question: 4It was held by the British colonists
that the war had destroyed our rights in the
coast fisheries guaranteed by. the Treaty Of
1783Ss0 Our answer was that we held those
rights'u the same tenure as that.by which
we>held our independence; and that no ne
gotiation was necessary to secure their perpe-
tuity any more than that of'the integrity of our
own territory. Every student of ,history'knows
how bitter wasahe public feeling 'onsthis sub
ject and great was the disappointment, when,
by the Treaty of 1918, we ,gaVe up, the right
of !, fishing within three marine & miles of
the shore. This chagrin was mol lied, how
ever, by the fact that our facilities for land
ing and curing fishywere enlarged by the
Treaty. = But evenT these srights were sin
vaded by unfriendly legislation by the British
and Colonial Governments. e4Nova Scotia, for
example, assumed, to shut'us out of some of
the most desirable fishing grounds by drawing
the three-mile shore-line Tfrom headland to
headland, instead Of by the indents of the
shores. Seizures were numerous, and 'thore
was every reason to expect that the growing
irritation would eventually lead to lhostilities.
But the British Government made conces-
sions" in 1915; and in 1854, under the opera
ton of the Canadian Reciprocity Treaty, we
arrived ut satisfactory adjustment of the
whole question. In 1855 that Treaty was abro-
gated at the instance of the United States.
The Canadian Government then adopted a
system of licensing our fishermen but AZ the
rates were soon increased TO an enormous de-
gree, the scheme failed, and the whole debate
was reOpened with much heat ia 1870. when