Daily Kennebec journal., 1877-06-15
The Fisheries.


The Treaty of Washington, of 1871. re-
ferred the settlement of the Alabama
claims to the Geneva Tribunal, the north
western boundary to the Emperor of Ger
many, and the matter of the fisheries to a
commission which should decide the sum
to be paid by our government to the Do
minion for the privilege of fishing in the
bays, harbors and creeks of their territory,
and for that of landing and curing fish
The British fishermen are also allowed by
the treaty to fish in American waters north
of the 39th parallel of latitude, and to
land and cure their catch. 1t is claimed
by the British that the concession made
by them is the more valuable. and so it IL
provided in the treaty that their fishermen
shall be allowed to sell fish in the ports of
this country. free of duty. 1t was also
provided that Commission should be ap-
pointed to settle the amount of compen-
sation, if any, which should be paid by
the American government to the Domin-
Commissioner and they were to choose
conjointly third. The Commission is to
sit at Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the 18th of
the present month. Hon. Ensign H. Kel-
logg of Massachusetts is the American
Commission. Hon. A. T. Calf, X. C. B.,
represents Great Britain, and the umpire of
"a iopt aiost uni ha NJ M H.
the Belgian envoy. Hon. Dwight Foster
will appear for the United States and Hon.
+. G. Ford will present the plea on the
British side.
The Canadians ask for seven millions of
dollars as compensation for the privileges
granted in the fisheries, and testimony
has been collected on both sides to show
what the value Of vessels engaged and of
the annual catch is In the absence of
any certain information upon this point.
it is claimed by our side in the case that
the large sum named would build all the
vessels engaged in the business, fit them
out and pay the men for several years,
and this view is probably the correct one.
Gloucester is the greatest fishing port in
world, and seven millions of dollars would
buy the profit of the fisheries of Glouces-
ter from the beginning of the business
until the interest of the money should alb
sorb all the capital invested. The sum
named is too large and will not by any
hn oil
are not pleased with the delay in the set
tlement of the matter by Commissio n,
and they appear also to be doubtful of
their ability to prove their claims, and SO
they have done what was in their power
to prevent the United States counsel from
learning the number, size and catch of
their vessels, or any other information
which might throw light on the American
side OF the question. At the same time
they have sent agents to this country to
learn all about the American fisheries In
the waters of British America, and to
magnify as much as possible the profit we
have from the. operation of the treaty.
From what has thus far appeared they
fail In proving the claim that our fisheries
are mostly in Canadian waters, or that
they have not gained large profit from
the license to sell fish in the American
ports.
Before the Commission will come a ques-
ton, preliminary to the main subject of
dispute. France claims an exclusive
right to part of the Newfoundland fish.
cries under the treaty of Utrecht, in 1913.
The French fishermen visited and fsbed
there before. France and England each
claim the discovery of Newfoundland,