The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-03-27
THE F1sKIsa QUESTION.

Mr, Blaine said j move that the CORES.
pondence between the American and Bri.
tish governments 10 regard to the APP
pointment OF Del Fosse. on the Halifax
Commission be taken from the table aud
referred to the Committee on Foreign Al.
fairs. beg at the same time to call the
attention OF the Senate 10 the fact that
the correspondence more than justities all
| said in regard to the very ektraordina.
~ efforts OF Lord Granville to force Del
Fosse upon our Government, when the
resolution calling for this correspond.
ence was before The seoate. agreed with
my honorable colleague, the Chairman
Of the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
that the award should be paid, not be-
cause II was just or was founded on any
fact or evidence submitted to the Halifax
Commission, but simply because IL was
an award which, for honors sake, We
might pay, though we got nothing for the
large sum required; and If the payment
Of the Eve and half millions were the
end OF the matter I would be willing to
vote II In silence, aud bury the
matter out Of sight; but the truth
Ia this award 10 only the beginning Of
the trouble. The period Tor which
|. pays will be ended in Eve years,
and then our privilege for inshore d,h.
ing must be negotiated afresh. 1t was
we'll known at Halifax, during the aes.
sion Of the Commission, that the Cana.
dian authorities were striving, not sim.
ply for the large sum on hand, bu, tor
liking the rate by which TO assess the
price OF inshore fisheries in the future.
Il ia our duty 10 show that the rate tised
BY the Halifax Commission has no foun.
dation whltever In truth or Ia Tact, aud
no evidence was before the Commission
10 Justify the award. ] hold in my hand
some statistics Of very great interest bear
Ing on the question, from which 1t ap
pears that the total value Of the catch III
The inshore fisheries, by American fsher'
men, during the four years the trea
ty has been in operation, WAS only
S4S5,170, on which the profit was
probably 100000. This covers the en-
lire catch for which we obtained the
right under the treaty, During the same
four years the dutieS on Canadisn i.h
aud oil remiLled by our government
amounted 10 a million aud half dollars
10 gold, and now under this treaty We
are compelled to pay half million pei
annum In addition, or two million dol
lara In gold, for four years. Ia othel
words, by The remission Of duties and th,
payment Of cash from the treasury oul
government Is called on to pay three ant
half million dollars in gold for th'
privilege OF permitting our fishermen K
make profit OF 100000 on the inshort
fisheries OF Nova Scotia. Considerable
comment has been made In the country
on the point suggested by me, that tht
the Washington treaty required tht
unanimous verdict Of the Halifax Com.
missioners before q valid award could b,
made. Iquoted some eminent Englist
authority Ia the support Of this position
Since then the friend has shown me
copy Of the London Tines, Of July 8
llS17, containing 10 elaborate editoria
article In regard 10 the Fisbery Commis'
sion, then about TO asssmble 10 Halifax
In discussing the powers OF the Commis
sion the TSnles said: eon every poin
that comes before the Fishery Commis
sion for decision, the unanimous consen
Of all ita members Ia, by terms Of q treaty
necessary before an authoritative verdic
can be given" And the Tunes then point
out the difference between the Geneyi
Tribunal and the Halifax Commission
showing that the msjority could decid
Geneva, but affirming that the Unitet
States would have perfect righ
TO demand unRnimity in the yerdic
At Halifax. It is also we'll know
that the Halifax Commission va
discussed by the Canadian minis
try 10 1875. After the negotiation
for reciprocity treaty had failed OF
that occasion, Mr.. Blake, the Minister o
Justice, remarked that the amount Q
compensation we shall receive must be q
amount pnanimouSly agreed upon By th