Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1881-04-27
Tic Eishnrles Erands Agaln.

The Fisheries Frauds Again.
Il is not very long since Sir Charles
Dixie, Under Secretary for Foreign
Affairs, brushed the fisheries fraud
question aside. with q mild wave of the
hand, n, unworthy the attention of her
Maicstv's government. Singularly
enough, Professor Hind, who original
" charged the fraud-and proved it
does not accept the honorable Under
Secrotary's decision as final. On the
contrary he repeats and reafiirms, in a
letter to Sir Charles, all the charges he
has made respecting falsifed fish re-
turns, and falsifcd customs returns,
sworn 70 in evidence, and used in ar
gument at the Halifax, contention, and
the wilful Justification Of Canadian Gus
toms returns, in relation to fish and pro-
ducts Of fish for many years, more par
tcularly from 1871 to 1877 inclusive"
lie openly charges Mr.. Whitcher with
bold and impudcnt falsehood," and
Mr.. Francis Clare Ford and Sir A. T..
Gait with infamous practices, "dishon-
or and crime" and for the purpose of
sustaining his position to the satisfac-
ton Of her Maiesty's government, he
proposes to break the seal under which
he has kept his copy of Mr.. Ford's fall
SIZED Fish Catch" table and other
similar documents.
Primarily, Of course, Prof. Hind,
purpose is 70 yindicatc himself against
the men who have traduced him, rath
or than to aid the United States il
having a great wrong righted. Tha
purpose Is Il perfectly natural one
Tie real criminals according to hi
statement, have discrodited his stor'
in every way possible, and persistent
prevented his getting the car of til
British Government. When he fir.
discovered the frauds he notified ForC
the agent Of the British Foreign Office
but that official dismissed the sugge.
.ious IN much the same manner latel'
adopted by Sir Charles Dixie. Pro.
Hind then tried Sir A. I. Gait, tn.
Canadian Arbitration Commissioner
and offered to prove the frauds; but
Calf wouldn't let him. And when he
tried to take his case up to headquar
ters, Gait and Ford prevented his oh
tanning a hearing. Then he went tt
the Governor.Goncral Of Canada, VII,
turned him of, just as everybody els
had done; and then he wrote to thu
Foreign Office, his letters and charge
were referred for investigation to IT,
very men ircriminatcd by him. 1t i
natural, therefore, that he should ash
an opportunity to justify himself an'
his charges, and the British Govern
ment cannot refuse him the opportu
nitv without becoming-if it has no
already bocome-a participant in tn
conspiracy to suppress the charges.
The case would be interesting enough
upon general principles, to create warn
sympathy in the United States 70
Prof Hind. But there is stronge
reason for wishing that he may have
full hearing, in fact that the substan
tiation of his charges means justifi
cation of the opinion, almost univer
sal in this country, that the Unite
States were grossly swindled in tn
Halifax award. If that opinion is i
any degree unjust to Great Britain, tn
British Government ought to jump q
the chance which Professor Hind pro
fers Of disabusing the American minC
If it is a Just opinion, the British Gov
eminent should be still more eager t
get at the facts, so that gross inju'
tce may be atoned for. The Unite
States can far better afford to b
swindled out Of few millions Of do
lars than Great Britain can TO be col
yicted Of doing the swindling or su
tanning it. And it is of this she wi
he convicted. if she refuses Professc
Hind hearing Free Press.