The New York herald., 1878-10-30

elsewhere, discloses ON extraordinary and
irritating justification, by the British gov
ernment, of mob violence against our fish
are. it seems, not only required to pay an
exorbitant sum for the right to try to catch
fish within the three-mile line. and to re-
NIT besides several hundred thousand dol
lars worth of duties on Canadian fish every
year, but when we have done all this Lord
Salisbury calmly tells Mr.. Evarts we are
not to presume to catch any fish except in
such manner and at such times as the Do
minion authorities may graciously permit
and if our people happen to violate 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 they violently
driven Of. What then, do we buy for our
money! ,
We suspec. the American public will
agree with US in thinking that the protest
of Secretary Evarts against this last requisi-
tion might we'll have been even more vigor-
Gus than it is. Under nll the circumstances
the British Minister'S calm justification Of
the violent destruction by British subjects
Of the property of American fishermen en-
gagged in the clear exercise of their rights
under the Treaty Of Washington is ex-
tremely irritating. In order that it shall
not be thought we are using needlessly
strong language we will state here as
plainly and concisely as possible the whole
caSe:-
The Treaty of Washington secures to
our fishermen the absolute and unlimited
right to catch sea fish of every kind except
shellfsha in Canadian waters for twelve
years within three miles of the shores.
Outside the three-mile line we already had
the right freely to fsh.
The United States agreed in return to
admit free Of duty Canadian sea fish and
fish oil for the same term of years, and,
further to submit to arbitration the ques-
ton whether and how much we ought to
pay in addition.
Thereupon the Halifax Fishery Commits
sion was created, and before it the British
presented their claim, asserting that we
ought to pay them sl4, $50, 600 for the twelve
years
To vindicate this claim they presented Q
bill of particulars. which, as q correspond
ent of the HERALD explained the other day,
unfortunately showed that on their most
extreme estimates they could charge us
only So, 800, 600 for the twelve years, and
that, tested by the highest number Of our
vessels which they claimed to use the
fishery and the highest tonnage tax they
had ever fixed, they ought to claim only
81. 44O, 600 for the term.
The account therefore stands thus:-We
remit duties to the amount of 81, ,091, 900
for the twelve years on Canadian fish and
fish oil. They are able to show that we
So, sec, 900 as damages for the same term.
Evidently they would owe us handsome
sum, on their own showing But as they
had asked nearly fifteen millions, and as
they were decidedly unwilling to pay us
anything. the British set up claim for "in-
direct damages" Now indirect damages
were summarily turned out of court by the
Geneva Commission when they were pre-
sented by the United States, and it was
thought preposterous in us to have even
mentioned such thing We accepted that
decision, but nevertheless tho British ask
indirect damages from us.
For what? Well, in the first place, for
fish in Canadian watersl That is to say, we
pay for the right to catch fish if we can,
and then we are to pay over again for the
good it does MS to catch the fish If we catch
any. Taking merely the value of the un-
caught fish which we we're to be allowed to
catch if we could, the British were brought
in debt to us, as we have shown above, even
on heir own statemcn of facts. SO they put
in charge for allowing MS to catch them in
peace. Here are the words Of the British
claim -
In ADDITION 10 the advantages above rsciscd she At
10 the great ,mror.nnce attaching 10 The beneficial
consequences the United States OF h0norably ac-
auiriDs Ior their nshoImen iu.i freedom 20 pursu:
risks and exposing themselves and their Fellow coun
rymen 10 the inevitable reprosch OF wiliully tres
passing on tho nsh'.ul domain Of friendly ns'ehosrs
Paramount however, 10 this consideration, is tho
the public mind oil spirited and entsrprisng people,
and liable always to become cause Of mutual auxo,y
and embarrassment.
The new account therefore, stands thus
We remit in duties on Canadian fish and
oil S4,091, 900. The English charge us
So, $50, 900 for the privilege of trying to
catch fish in their waters. Balance in our
favor, $731, 900. But, they say. 1--WE ought
to have something handsome for not break
ing the heads and destroying the seines of
your fishermen, and you must pay five and
q half millions for that, over and above
what the account shows we owe you"
Well, on the 9Th Of January Of tho pres
ent year feet of American fishermen were
catching herring on the Newfoundland
coast, as was their undoubted right under