Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-04-30

The facts about this affair, now largely
occupying the attention of Congress and of
the public are as follows:
In January, 1878, some Massachusetts
fishermen. who had gone to Fortune Bay,
Newfoundland, 10 catch herring, discover
ed a school of fish, one Sunday morning, in
the harbor where their vessels were lying at
anchor, and began preparations for its cap
ture. \ seine was fastened to the shore and
Others joined to ii, and, just as they were
ready TO make splendid haul, estimated to
realize no, less than 8, 900 barrels. down came
4 mob of enragcd Observation-Disclosures and
destroyed the seines and threatened the
lives of the fishermen.
The Newfoundlanders claim that in this
they were simply making Just resistance TO
an Outrage" They have, il seems, local
law which forbids them to seine herring on
Sunday, or on any day between the Goth of
October and the 25th of April. They claim
that this law WAS made for foreigners as
much as for natives; that the American
fishermen must obey it as well as the New
foundlanders and that it was asking alto
gether too much of human nature to en-
pect the Newfoundland fishermen to stand
by with folded arms and see the Yankees bag
treasure which they were restrained from
securing any portion Of.
This view of the case is by no means ac-
cepted by our Government. Secretary
Evarts in communication to Minister
Welsh, Sept. 2S, 1873, said:
1t is no part of my purpose 10 point out
that this alleged infraction of the reserved
rights of local fishermen does not justify the
methods of correction or redress used to
drive off our fishermen and break up their
prosecution of the fishing. This
Government conceives that the fishery rights
of the United States conceded by the treaty
of Washington are TO be exercised wholly
free from the restraint and regulations of the
statutes of Newfoundland, now set up as an
authority over our fishermen /; and from any
other regulations now in force or that may
hereafter be enacted by the government.
And as the destruction of the seines of the
Massachusetts men, in addition to the actual
damage 10 property, spoiled their voyages,
claim was made by our Government upon
the British Government for $4,000 dam
ages This claim, the British Government,
it is understood, has definitely rejected
One not unlikely result from this action
may be the abrogation of the Fisheries Trea-
ty, under which the Dominion fishermen
bring their fish 10 American markets free of
duty. The House Committee on Foreign
Affairs have made a report, which declares
that American fishermen are deprived of the
privileges of fishing conceded to them by
the treaty by hostile Legislation of the. colo
NAL governments and by the violence of the
inhabitants of the British dominions, and
that such hostile legislation seems TO be de-
Tended and said Illegal violence not TO be
ernment :" and closes with a recommended
ton Of the passage Of a resolution requesting
the President to take such measures as will
secure restitution TO our citizens for past
illegal violence committed against them by
the inhabitants of Newfoundland and protec-
ton from any future repetition Of such vio-
lence, and to procure the early termination
of so much of the treaty of 1871 as relates
TO the fisheries.
How serious this difference between the
two governments is likely to prove, remains
to be seen. A new British administration
has Just come into power, and may take
different view Of the case from that re-
Gently communicated by Lord Salisbury
But in any case, it seems to be pretty
clear that the treaty, so far as the
fisheries are concerned, is of little or no
value to this country, though we have paid
five millions, under it and if its advantages
are to be further restricted by unfavorable
provincial laws, some of which have been
passed since the treaty was adopted, the
sooner it is abrogated the better.