The daily gazette., 1878-10-31
qUaYe t1uOJ 2'JIUs
From the ". Y. Herald.
The Last Phase Of she Fisherv
AWard.

| "o'oo am worsc' Inc despatch of Sec
retary Evarts to Minister Welsh. which
we print elsewhere, discloses an extraor.
binary and Irritating justification, by the
BRUSH government, of mob violence
| against our fishermen on the coast "A
Newfoundland. We are, its seems. NOT
only required to pay an exorbitant sum
for the right to try to catch fish within
the three mile line, and to remit besides
several hundred thousand dollars worth
OF duties on Canadian fish every wear.
put when we have done all this LORD
Salisbury calmly tells Mr.. Evarts we are
not 10 presume to catch any fish except
IN such manner and at such times as the
dominion authorities may graciously
permit and if our people happen to yio-
late these arbitrary local laws they shall
not be brought into court and fairly or
unfairly tried, but shall be mobbed, their
property destroyed and stolen and tbey
violently driven off. What, then, do we
buy for our money?
we suspect the American public will
agree with us in thinking that the protest
of Secretary Evarts against this last re-
QUESTION might well have been even
more vigorous than 1t is. Under all the
circumstances the British Minister'S calm
llistif1ca'ion OF the violent destruction by
British subjects of the property of Ameri-
can fisherman engaged in the clear exer-
else OF their rights under the Trea'y of
Washington is extremely irritating. In
order that 1t shall not be thought we are
using needlessly strong language we will
state here as plainly and concsely as DOS
sible the whole case -
l The frQafu IF Waahi,o-+o..
our fishermen the absolute and unlimited
rlght 10 catch sea fish of every kind ex-
cept shellfish in Canadian waters for
twelve years within three miles Of the
shores. Outside Of the three mile line
we already had the right freely to fish.
The United States agreed in return to
admit free of duty Canadian sea fish and
and fish oil for the same term of years,
and, further to submit to arbitration the
question whether and how much we ought
to pay in addition.
Thereupon the Halifax Fishery Com
mission was created, and before it the
British presented their claim, asserting
that we ought to pay them $14, 1880, 900
for the twelve years.
| To vindicate this claim they presented
bill Of particulars, which as cores
pondent OF the Herald explained the
other day, unfortunately showed that on
their most extreme estimates they could
charge us only S3,300,00O for the twelve
years, and that, tested by the highest
| number of our vessels which they claim
/ ed to use the fishery and the highest ton
mage tax they had ever fixed, they
ought to claim only 81, 100000 for the
| term.
| The account therefore stands thus -
We remit duties to the amount of ST.
| OBJ 900 for the twelve years on Canadian
fish and fish oil. They are able to show
that we should pay them at the utmost
only S,360,000 as damages for the same
term. Evidently they would owe us a
handsome sum, on their own showing.
But as they had asked nearly fifteen mil
lions, and as they were decidedly unwil-
ling to pay us anything, the British set
up claim for "indirect damages" Now
indirect damages were summarily turned
out of court by the Geneva Commission
when they were presented by the United
States, and 1t was thought preposterous
in us to have even mentioned such a
thing. We accepted that decision, but
nevertheless the British ask indirect
damages from us.
| For what? Well, in the first place
for the great benefit it Is to us to be able
to fish in Canadian waters That is to
say, we pay for the right to catch fish ii
we can, and then we are to pay ovel
again for the good it does US to catch
the fish II we catch any. Taking mere
ly the value of the uncaught fish which
we were to be allowed to catch if we
L oh in do
to us, as we have shown above, even on
their own statement of facts. So thay
put in charge for allowing us to catch
of the British claim -
In addition 10 the advantages above
recIted the attention of the C)mmis
sioners is respectfully drawn to the
great Importance attaching to the bene-
fetal consequences to the United States
of honorably acquiring for their fisher
men full freedom to pursue their adven'
turous calling without incurrng constant
risks and exposing themselves and theil
fellow countrymen to the inevitable
reproach of willfully trespasing on the
rightful domain of friendly neigbbors'
Paramount, however, to this consid
eratlOD, Is tne avoidance OF lrratlDB uls>
pute, calculated to disquiet the public
mind of spirited and enterprising
people, and liable always to become 3
case of natural anxiety and embarrass
ment. ...5=,..... q.
The new account, therefore, stands
thus We remit in duties on Canadian
fish aud oil S4,091 900. The Englist
Charge us $3,36O,000 for the privilege OF
trying to catch fish in their waters
Balance in our favor, $7l1,000. But
they say, awe ought TO have something
handsome for not breaking the heads
and destroying the seines of your fisher
men, and you must pay five and halt
millions for that, over and above what
the account shows we owe you"
Well, on the 9th of January OF the
/ present year a fleet of American fisher
men were catching herring on the New
foundland coast, as was their undoubt-
ed right under the treaty ; while SO en-
Gagged they were attacked by mob OF
Newfoundland fishermen, who cut the
seines, let out the fish and carried away
the remnants OF the seines Of our people