The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-05-27
President Hayes and Secretary Evarts
ON the Fortune Bay Troubles.
" Mo

B. the correspondence Will llc Wv 6IL-
ment OF Great Britain in relation to the
alleged outrage on American citizens at
Fortune Bay, Newfoundland, together
with the report from the Secretary of
State on the subject In the message
the President says: t-ak fIs BE-
In transmitting this correspondence and re-
port / respectfully ask the immediate and
careful attention of Congress to the failure of
accord between the two Governments as TO the
Interpretation and execution OF the fishery ar
ticles of the Treaty of Washington, as dis
closed in the correspondence and eluo1dat6d
by the exposition of the Secretary of State.
concur in the opinions of that report as TO the
| measures proper to be taken by this Govern
ment in the maintenance of rights accorded
ourfshermen by the British concessions In the
treaty, andin procuring suitable action towards
securing indemnity for The injury which this
interest has already suffered. Accordingly, L
recommend to Congress the adoption of those
measures with such attendant details of legis-
latiOn as in the wisdom of Congress may seem
expedient. RUTHERFORD b. HAYES.
The accompanying report of the Sec
rotary of State consists mainly of a
review of the correspondence and
elaborate discussion of the arguments
advanced on both sides of the contro-
verSy as to the true measure of treaty
right from the earliest period of its
history. Secretary Evarts says:
1.-The position of this Government was noti-
fed 10 tho British Government in September,
1875, as follows: This Government conceives
that the nshery rights of the United States
conceded by the Treaty of Washington are to
be exercised wholly free from restraints and
regulations of the statutes of Newfoundland,
now set up as authority over our fishermen,
and from any other regulations of fishing
now in force or that may hereafter be
enacted by that Government Upon
bia fsE11 no M of r. a
ment is now notified to us by the dispatch of
Lord Salisbury of April o, as follows Refer
ring to these statutes of Newfoundland, Lord
Salisbury says: These regulations, which
were IN force at the date of the Treaty of
Washington, were not abolished but confirmed
by subsequent statutes, and are binding under
the treaty, upon citizens of the United States
in common with British subjects. The United
States fishermen, in landing for the purpose
of fishing at Tickle Beach, III using Il seine at
the prohibited time, and in barring behring's
with seines from the shore exceeded their
treaty privileges, and were engaged in unlaw-
ful acts "
Secretary Evarts, in conclusion, says: at
was repeatedly stated by the American MEM
bers of the Joint High Commission at Wash
ington, in discussing the proposals regarding
the Canadian fisheries, that the United States
desired to secure their enjoyment, not for
their commercial and intrinsic value, but for
the purpose of removing aSOurce of irritation.
The experience of our Fortune Bay fishermen
in their first attempt in the sixth year of the
of Newfoundland full freedom to pursue
observation-disclosures calling which Her Majesty's
Government said had been honOrably acquired
for them by their own Government, is eXhb-
tied in the papers now submitted as is also its
treatment of their grievances, and this
Government presentation of it ac-
corded by Her Majesty's Government.
The British Government claimed before the
Halifax Commission the sum of Sl2O,O0J per
annum during the twelve years of the treaty
period, or a gross sum of S1,+40,0JO for advan-
farr 70 at of he HSb
lege proper on the Newfoundland coast alone
conceded by treaty over and above the cOun-
ter concessions of our inShOre fishery and the
remission of duty on their fish products The
Halifax award of S5,500,UO0 for the Dominion
of Canada and Newfoundland together have
been divided between them by the British
Government, and the sum of Sl,G0O.000 has
been received by Newfoundland as its share of
the money payment made by the United States
under the treaty. 1t will be observed that
under the British view of the exposure of our
fishermen at Fortune Bay to the pen
alties of the infractiOn of Provincial
laws, while they were enjoying, in their
own opinion and that of this Government,
the full freedom of the fishery accorded
by the treaty, there is no preIenSe that
the violence offered them, and wanton de
struction of their fishing property and spOlia-
ton of their draught OF fishes, find any war
rant in the supremacy of violated law, Under
color of which the British Government has re-
fused them any indemnity. In this attitude
of the British Government, as taken in the
fishermen from their fishery on the 9Th of
January, 1873, by the coast fishermen of New
foundiand, seems to be justified if no. es-
pOuSed. This position, too, Of that Govern
ment necessarily carries warning that any
future attempt by our fishermen 10 exercise
their treaty privileges eXceptin conformity to
the local fishing regulations will be resisted by
the authority of the British Government, as
well as exposed to the violence of the coast
fishermen.
Under this unhappy and unexpected fail
g
as to the measure OF inshOre fishing privileges
to our fishermen by the Treaty of Washington
as developed in this correspondence, il be-
comes the imperative duty of this Govern
ment to consider what measure should be
taken TO maintain the rights of our people un-
der the treaty, as we understand them, and to
obtain redress for their expulsion from the en-
jOyment of their rights. SO tar rs this dimin-
ishing of these privileges calls for the recon
sideration of treaty equivalents already parted
with by this Government and received by
Great Britain, that subject necessarily must
be remitted to diplomatic correspond
ence. The only continuing consideration,
the United States in paying for the treaty
for the expected enjoyment of treaty
toms duties upon the fish products
of the provincial share in these fisheries. |
respectfully advise that it be recommended to
Congress to re-enforce the duties upon fish and
tish-Ol, the products of provincial fisheries, as
they existed before the Treaty of Washington
came into operation, to so continue until the
Two NONtIulueUlS suthIl DC III dCCOIu as 10 the
Interpretation and execution of the fishery ar
ticles of the Treaty of Washington, and the
adjustment of the grievances of our fishermen
from an infractiOn Of their rights under that
treaty. This measure will give to our fisher
men, while excluded from the enjoyment of
inshOre fisheries under the continued enforce
ment of the British Interpretation of the
treaty, a restoration of a domestic market for
the products of their own fishing industry rs
1t stood before its freedom was thrown open to
provincial fishermen in exchange for the free
fishery opened to our fishermen.
II respectfully advise also submitting to the
consideration Of Congress the prOpriety of
authorizing an examination and auditing of
the claims of our fishermen for injuries suf-
fered by the infractiOn or denial of their
treaty privileges, with view of some ulti-
mate provision by q convention with Great
Britain or by this Government for their in
demnity."
BERRY SCOGGINs had committed a
murder at Townsville, Ga, and was a
fugitive in the mountains. At every
he boldly entered somebody's
house, demanded place at the table
with the family, and ate with a cooked
gun lying across his lap. A Sheriff and
a large party at length went out to hunt
him down. He took position on the
top of a hill and fired on them; but he
had only shotgun and they could
keep out of his range, while still within
rifle distance Their best marksman
was deputed to shoot him, and four
bullets were lodged in him, causing
death.
The present attraction at the Jardin
DIES Plantes in Paris is female bear of
the American species and her cub. The
:
crowds of visitors constantly throng