New-York tribune., 1878-11-11

eEtlStu tic AHS D'NNN
giant estimates of the proyineials never as
sumed that more than threc-qaarters OF this
gross total had been caught within the thfee-
mile limit The market value Of three-quai-
ters of this catch, when cured, packed, ana
ready for expOrtatiOn and including the par
relS, salt, etc. was shown, on provincial tes-
timopv. te be s472, ,353. This is not the prott,
he it observed. but the selling price. the
profit, aud consequently the value to our ish-
ermen, was certainly less than 81 barrel
that is TO say, about $4,000 a year, OF
$500, 600 for the period of twelve years COW
cred by the treaty. And even If we take the
widest British estimates of the amount o1 the
catch. and the most eXtravagant computation
of its value, and set the profit at tho exorDI-
tlnt rate OF 80 per cent, we cannot stretch
the yalue of these fisheries beyond Sl2o,ooo
a wear. or S1.5OO,OOO for the whole twelve
years. And yet there is absolutely nothing
else for which the Halifax Commission was
asked TO fix price. 1t had absolutely no
data rs the basis of the prepostcrous award
excrpt the figures which yield the foregoing
mcagre results
This is not all. We granted as compen-
sation for the fishing privileges, "A free market
for the fish and fish oil of the Provinces, not
IN sneak of access to certain inshore fisheries
of New-England. What is the free market
worth The Custom House statistics sho"
that it represents the remission OF duties 10
the extent of more than S3OO,OOO per an
mum. Conceding that only half OF tins annual
sum should be set down as pccunlary proht 10
,be provinciaI interests, we have an offset Ol
81 500. .OOO. whereas the highest possible
valuation of the fishing privilege Is
only S1,5OO,OOO. What disposition the
arbItrators saw fit to make OF this item
it would he interesting to know. Propa-
bly they disrrgardcd il altogether-as
they did all other items-but Mr.. Eyarts
pertinenlly reminds the British Government
that a free market for the Provincial fisher
men is the condition upon Which 1t mas always
most strcnuously insisted as " Indispensable ~
to any fishery convention with the Cnitcd
States; and if it now accepts the conclusion
of tbe Halifax Commission that this free mar
Eet il of no value, it must lay no stress upon
il in any future negotiations with us. lnas-
mucb rs the Provincial fishermen cannot sell
their macl,crcl in any part of the world eX-
cent the United States, this is an observation
to which Lord Salisbury Will probably give
due weight.
Ii is no part of the duty Of the Secretary OF
State at this period of the discussion to
propose any new measure for the settlement
of the question which the Halifax Commission
has left in such an unsatisfactory shape. lie
is required only to make a frank and friendly
reprcscntation of our views to Lord Salisbury,
in the hope that the British Government may
assent to them, and thus open the way for Il
more permanent and comprehensive settle
"ment of the fishery interests of the two
countries than was reached by the Treaty OF
Washington" However this may be, il is a
satisfaction that this able and temperate
statement OF the American case has been put
on record. 1t leaves MS in the best possible
position for the fresh discussion which must
soon revive the whole of the long controversy.