Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-11-29

The Halifax Commission.
There are signs of trouble about the
result of the Commission appointed to set
tie questions in dispute between this
country and Canada. which recently
closed its labors at Halifax. The point
has been raised that the decision of the
Commissioners is not valid because it was
concurred in by only two OF the three
Commissioners. Mr.. Kelley, the United
States Commissioner. not agreeing with
his colleagues. In his opinion the terms
of the treaty under which the Commission
acted required the unanimous consent OF
all the members to make its decision legal
and binding. This point alone might not
be regarded of sufficient consequence to
interfere with the payment of the award
In favor of Canada, although the award is
considered excessive in this country, but
the Canadians themselves are raising a
breeze against the the decision which may
prove fatal to it. by declaring that it is not
full settlement of all questions in dispute
between the United States and Canada
An article in the New York Times con
corning the matter has the following.
The admitted intent of the Washington Treaty
wss to end all outstanding disputes between this
country and Gneat Britain. This its purpose
In its broadcast aspect, and this the justification for
provisions which in some respects were not abso-
lutely satisfactory to either Of the contracting
powers. The articles relating to the fisheries do
not specify details, and on this ground the Hall
fax Commission unanimously excluded from con .
sideration so much of the Canadian claim re-
lated to the right of trading for bait and supplies
ON the coast. The reasonable presumption is, that
the British Commissioners at Washington, acting
for Canada, did not entertain the idea of demand
ing compensation for privilege which, however
convenient TO Americans, is certainly most profit
able to the Canadians. If they regarded it as an
item for which compensation should be paid theit
duty reguired them to embody it in the treaty As
one of the questions to be decided at Halifax. Be
this a. 1t may, the omission of the item from the
enumerated lists of matters to be acted upon led
TO the rejection of the claim set up by Canada on
account OF this particular privilege. But the
Canadians, instead of abandoning demand which
on its face is preposterous have not hesitated to
declare that their government adhere to it and
will be prepared in due time to press it upon the
United States. Referring TO this privilege and
the fact that the award does not nchde payment
for II, the leading newspaper Of the Dominion
and stauch supporter OF its Administration, re-
marks that 'the award is not so large to induce
Canada to fofgO eagerly the right she holds in her
hands of reta ming what is most undoubtedly her
prerogatve. One of the principal organs OF the
opposition says, 1--WE have the remedy in our own
hands If we choose to apply 1t by means of egis-
lative action 1t is therefore clear that both OF
the political parties in the Dominion sustain the
prcteps0n upon which compensation was sought
for the trading privilege which the Joint High
Commission did not deem worthy of specification;
and both threaten our fishermen with hostile leg
aaiAt tnU thA aIast., k... ,,...
niEed. One suggestion is, the payment of more
money. Another, that the claim shall be used As
the means Of reconciling us to the paym of the
i've millions and half, and aferward to the nego-
tiation Of reciprocal treaty.
Unless the Canadian government disayows tho
purpose TO use the rejected claim as a leverage
against this country, the Halifax decision ought
not to be entertained. The work of the Commits
sion must be regarded as covering all issues aiis-
ing out OF the fisheries, should be discarded a.
unfinished and for the time imperative. The
plan OF Commission, taken in conjunction with
the general aim and scope Of the Washington
Treaty, presupp0ses the settlement of all matters
that remained unsettled. The Administration at
Washington cannot properly ask Congress for
money in partial settlement and we are sure that
congress will not sanction the payment of a dol
lar while the presentation OF further claims can be
considered possible. The award covers every
thing, and is final, or il is not worth talking about
Upon the understanding which may be arrived
at on these points depends, to some extent, the
use that will be made of the objection raised by
the United States Commissioner to the validity of
decision IN which only two of the Commissioners
concurred. ut is questionable" he writes
whether it 10 competent for the board TO make an
award under the treaty except with unanimous.
consent OF its members" The treaty provided
that IN the Alabama Commissi "a majority of
the COMMISSIONERS shall be sufficient for an award
In each case. 10 the article relating TO the Fish.
cry Commission the words are, that any sum of
money which the said Commissioners NAV 90
award, Leaving room for the inference that
majority will not be sufficient As il has been re-
ported that the Canadian member of the Wash
ipgton Commission not long ago suggested this re-
quIrement as guarantee against decision total
al variance with the pietensions of the Domin-
Ion, neither he Dor his party affect surprise at
Its presentation on our side. However defenslble
under strict construction of the treaty, it is not
IN onjection which in ordinary circumstances we
should Ike TO see urged vehemently. If, howev-
sr' the Sanaolsns propose to employ one omission
- pretext Tor pressing a claim not named in the
treaty, they cannot wonder If another omission be
turned against them as suggested by Mr. Kellogg.
IL VIII be well to keep in mind that on
Senator Edmunds amendment instructjno
the Committee on Privileges and Elections
TO investigate the accusations against Pat
terson that he had been bribed to vote for
the admission Of Butler, the democrats
voted solid against the resolve to invest.
gate. and Patterson voted with them.
This tender and newly found regard for
the carpet-bagger among the Senate dem.
ocrats is very suggestive.