The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-08-21
Last Nights Dispatches.
WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20-The claim for
$l03,O0O damages on account ofsillegal in
reference with American fishermen at
Fortune Bay, which has been presented to
the British government, is not the claim
for the restoration of that or any other part
OF the Halifax award. 1t is upon the
ground of non fulfllment Of conditions.
The present claim is tor specific grievan-
ces, and is to be considered without refer
ence to the amount of the Halifax award,
with which it has nothing to do. Minister
Welsh was instructed to base a claim for
one hundred and three thousand dollars
upon actual loss and damage sustained by
American tshermanin consequence of the
violent invasion of their treaty rights at
Fortune Bay and to obtain some security
against recurrence of similar offenses in
the future.
Advices received by the State Depart
ment from the North American coast,rep
resent that, although no actual violence
has occurred this year. our fishermen are
deferred by apprehensions OF violence
from approaching the shore and carrying
on their business with freedom guaranteed
to them by treaty, and that we are there
fore deriving no benefit from our agree
ment with the British Government and
getting no return for our money. The
state OF feeling which prevails between our
north coast fishermen and British Ameri-
can tshermen, who consider themselves
justified IN usiag force to carry out local
prohlbltory laws, is regarded by our gov
ernment as extremely dangerous and liable
at any moment to lead to bloodshed and
serious international Misunderstanding, and
1t Is therefore very anxious that some
steps shall be taken by the British govern
ment to do away with the local prohibtory
laws of the Canadian Provinces, which now
practically override and nullify the treaty
treaty provisions Of far higher authority.
The Treasury Department. to DAY, pnr-
chased between four and FIVE hundred
thousand ounces of silver bullion, all for
the Philadelphia mint Offers for the
west were considered above the market rate.
The president has approved the deci-
| sion of the secretary of state in the Renia-
| min We'll and La Abra Silver Mining
Company awards under the claims conven.
ton with the United States. The We'll
claim is for the value Of nineteen hundred
bales of cotton said to have been captured
and appropriated in Mexico, and the La
Abra claim is for the silver mining com
pany. The secretary says: while neither
principles of public law, nor consideration,
of justice or equity require or permit a!
between the United States and Mexico
| that the awards in these cases should bt
Ire0pened and the cases retired before
new international tribunal, or under any
new convention or negotiation respecting
the same between the United States anC
Mexico, am of the opinion that the mat
ters brought to the attention on the par
of Mexico, does bring out gave doubt of tn,
substantial integrity of the claim of Benia
min We'll, and the sincerity OF evidence al
to the measure Of damages Insisted upol
and accorded in the case Of the La Abr,
Silver Mining Company, and that th
honor Of the United States does requir
that these two cases should be furthe
investigated by the United States, to as
certain whether this government has bee
made the means OF enforcing against
friendly power. claims of our citizens base
or exaggerated by, fraud.
A new line Of steamers will be run be
tween New Orleans, New York aud Britis
=, Honduras.
The organization of the Mississippi Riy
, er Improvement Commission was effecte
by the appointment of General Comstoc
Of the Engineer corps. as secretary p1
. tenn. A resolution was adopted requestin
the secretary of war to detail an officer
r the army as permanent secretary to tt
commission