The New York herald., 1878-03-13
HS APPOINTMENT As COMMISSIONER.
A Criticism of Ex Pate Statements
Prior to the Report.
THE DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR BILL.
Humorous Speech Of Sunset Cox on Civil
Service Reform.
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.

FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
WASHINGTON, March IL, 1873
THE FIsHERrxs QUEsTIoN-How AMERICAN
FISHERMEN RxoARDED THE INsHoRE PRIvI-
LEoEs BEFORE THE TnKArY-A FAIR MEAS
URE OF VALUE.
The more the fisheries award IL discussed here the
more plainly It appears that Congress would not hesi-
tate to pay any which could be shown to be
really fair and proper and whom the matter TO
be discussed the inquiry and debate will turn this
one question :-How much tho inshore fisheries
really worth usf 1t Is curious that evidence
introduced BY the Canadians themselves before the
commission afords the means Of establishing or,
~ least, approximating the value TO rs
Of those inshore fsherisk In the years
1866. 1867, 1868 and 1869 the Canadian government
levied and collected from American fishing vessels
tonnage intended to indemnify the Canadians for
our use OF the fisheries The tax was varied from
year year and yielded tho following results the
ngurcs being taken from the Canadian report made
ths FishsRy Com mmssion:-
In 1866 they levied on American vessels a tonnage
tax Of fifty per ton and under this tax 454 Of
our fishing vessels took out ccnse. Those vessels
had an aggregate Of 24,9o2 tons, and they
included, there Ia reason 10 believe, pretty
much the whole Of our fishing feet which catches
mackerel and is fitted to mako so long voyage
the Canadian waters The Americans readily paid the
tax, because tho license saved them from interference
by the local authorities arrest OF men, detention of
vessels nnes 10. The revenue collected that year by
she Canadian authorities was $13.s37, small extra
tax being levied on Prince Edward Island
In 1867 the tonnage tax raised TO 81 per ton,
and 81 20 in Prince Edward Island, and In that year
only 295 vessels, with aggregate tonnage OF only
lected by the Capsdians was $I571s. Evidently
the privilege OF using the inshors fisheries was
thought 100 dear at 81 ION by large number OF
American fishing owners They wero familiar with
the value OF this right, and of 454 who paid nfty
cents ton only 295 thought they could afford 10
pay u.
In 1868 the Canadian authorities raised tho tax
again and exacted 81 ton, and only sxty.ons OF
our vessels took out licenses with an aggregate
Of 1851 tons, the revenue obtained by
the Comedians being $69ek Any one familiar with
The calculations OF fishermen will that lie sixty
one captains who took out licenses in this year did
mainly because they toresaw that the great bulk
OF fishing fleet would refuse and abandon the
shore grounds leaving, OF course, better chance for
catch OF fish to the fcw who ventured. In 1869 the
tax was continued at 50, but only thrty-one Of our
vessels took licenses, and the revenue fell to
t2.607; that Is TO say, nearly halt OF the sixty
one who had paid 81 ton the year
before had not found the fishing right
worth that much TO them, even with the increased
chances Of catch srsing from the vory greatly d.
minished numbers using the inshore fisheries.
1t appears therefore, that the right to the inshore
fisheries, for the use Of which Tor twelve years
So 500 900 demanded Of US, and which Sir Alexan-
der Gait cooIly valued at $15 OoO. valued in
the period just before the treaty by our fishermen
at hity CENTS Or at any rate, less than 81 ton and
that yielded to the Canadians less than $l4 600 per
annum, and they now ask US to pay about $45OO0O
per annum Tor II, besides remtting duties to the
amount OF $400. 900 more. When the tax was raised
TO 81 by them nearly half our feet abandoned tho
ground at once, evidently because the right was
worth so much to them. But At 81 a ton the whole
American fishing fleet would have brought the Cana
aians less than $25, 900 per annum.
II would not be oasy to discover any other way so
serton and trustworthy to determine the actual value
10 our poopls ofthe Canadian nsnore nsnsrios This
obvious tact appears to have struck the British Min.
sters for tho 18th Of Juno, 1871 shortly after the
conclusion OF tho Treaty Of Washington, Viscount
Kimberley then Colonial Secretary, writing 10 the
Governor General Of Canada to explain the bearings
of the treaty on Canadian interests said
II is perfectly that the right Of fishing on the
United states coasts, conceded under article 49, Is
less valuable than the right OF fishing In colonial
waters conceded under article Is TO the United
Bate but the other hand cannot be denied that
u 10 most important TO the colonial fishermen to
obtain free access 10 the American market Tor
!hsr asn snd nsn OIL and ,rai,s. sns ssl,nce i Of
DO duly redressed BY the arbitrators under article
n In some respects direct money payment Is
perhaps more. distinct recognition OF the ghts OF the
Ioionies than q tariff concession, and there does
not seem 10 be any difference in principle between the
admission OF American fishermen for Il term oil years
In consideration Of The payment Of sum OF money in
gross and their admission under. the system Of
licenses esculased ~ 80 macy dollars per ton, which
was Adopted By shs colonial government ios several
years after the termination Of tho Reciprocity Treaty
n The latter case must DO observed that tho Of
the fisheries was granted without any tarin conces
yions whatever the part of the United States oven
rs 10 the importation of hsh.
viscount Kimberly here reminded the Canadians
that the tonnage tax they levied on our fishermen,
and which might be held to represent the vauo Can
ada put the nsherios, exclusive of the rcmis-
Bion OF ducs on Canadian fish and fish oil provided by
lhe Treaty OF Washington. Ut course the Canadians
might have replicu to him that they got what they
soud, and what they thought the fisheries worth
but the main ana important fact remains that the
lsheres arc worth to our people less than 81 ton
our fishing fleet using those waters and as wo arc
70 pay ws-have certainly y right TO ascertain how
much what we are TO buy is worth to US.
FINANCIAL vAGARIEs OF THE EXTREME SILVER
MEN--sECRErARY sHERMAN's FAVORABLE
VIEW OF THE siTUATIoN-THE ADMINISTRA-
TIoN SERENE UNDER CRITICISM.
Mr. Ewings proposed cCustit utional amendment for
the ISSUE OF about thousand millions OF irredeemabo
legal tender notes TO take the place OF gold silver
con ME Turner's bill authorizing States to tax gov
srnmsnt bonds and other vagaries Of the kind
which so far remain In tho brains or the pock-
OTIS OF mombers show that there Is a certain
amount Of loose and mschievous thinking on
hN In INT A ig
that no such bill get through at the present
sion and there Is for alarm about them.
The moderate silver men who constitute about half
Of the silver vote, a rule nlationists They
are totally opposed to any further silver legislation at
present and until the act already passed has had
ycar's opportunity 10 work. They are, moreover, for
The most part hard money mcu and will vote against