New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-01
rHE FI-HIRY CON1AOTERSY.

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THE FI,HLRI CUNIEOTERSK.
The Administrators pretcXt for prolongin@
the operation of the Fishery clauses was very
/ fimsv. 1t assumed that the abroEatlon OF the
! clauses exposed American fishermen to IN
| miuent peril in Canadian waters and That an
! international compact was necessary in order to
! avert hostiItios. As the CW-EES!and fishing
| industry had importuned Congress to a5io%dte
the articles and had known for two 0r three
| wears the precise date when the treaty OF ISIS
vould become operative, this prctcncc OF inter
| ycu;iOn on its behalf was a transparent sham.
The diplomatic correspondence Itself disclosed
the fact that the State Department had been
lured into the negotiations by the British Min
lister and the Dominion authorities. Mr.. Spollord
has produced convincing evidence that the
American fishing industry was not consulted,
and that the Administration in its precipliatc
haste to favor foreign interests went beyond It's
constitutional rights and was guilty OF tligiani
usuIpation of power. \ direct confirmation OF
! the charge that the Governments acton was
due to foreign influence is now furnished from
! Ottawa. The Opposition leaders have been
ccnsurin-- sir John Macdonald for allowing the
Fishery clauses to lapse without vigorous effort
to secure their renewal. Sir Alexander Camp
bell in replying for the Government has re-
| fcrred to the State Departments promise to
| have the Pres .dent recommend the negotiation
of a new treaty. This he considered salts
! factory evidence of the Dominion Ministry 5
! active and successful Intervention on behalf "i
! the fishermen of the maritime provinces. The
/ Government, lie couteud,d. had done all that
! could be expected of it in obtaining that prom
Use. This was true enough, and the Liberal
| leaders were unreasonable in their criticisms.
The trap had been well bdtcd and the Demo
cIatic Administration walked straight into IT..
! Or, to use more appropriate figure, the
gudgeons were scincd in at the iirst swOOp.
| Ii is noticeable, however, that public opinion
in the Provinces is not as il,bby rs it Is i'll the
! United States. The Government at Ottawa Is
ccnsuled for ucglcctinS to strengthen the
marine police and to send armed cruisers TO the
fishing grounds In the Provincial icgislat-
ures there are aggressive proposals Tor the pro-
lection of the insLorc hshcrc, aud retaliation
against Yankee poachers.' The authorities,
perceiyng that there is no prospect OF duIlng
/ Congress, are preparing to cOn-true the treaty
! OF ISIS in the narroNest spirit possible, ana to
! have recourse to all the cXpcdicnts by which
! American fishermen have been hdras-cd IN the
| past. This policy is defended on all sides.
| When negotiations for opening American mar
! kc.s to Provincial industries fail, retaliation IN
some form is favored as the only alternative.
! Conflicts with American fishermen are regarded
! as a useful eXpcdent for Fastening the ncgotla-
ton of a new treaty, by which Canadian indus
! tries will be greatly benefited. The marine
police is strengthened and vessels are armed
with a view to opening vigorous campaign
against Yankee poachibg.'
To demonstrations OF this kind there is only
one answer that sclf-rcspccting Government
can make. That is to send to Great Britain Il
strong remOnstrancc against the hcadland pre-
| tension, which has 10 basis III International
law; to insist that local tribunals shall not be
| allowed to settle questions reserved for the
jurisdiction of the tcaty-maIing Powers; and
finally, to dispatch vessels of war to the Tanks,
if only for purposes of observation. Tins last
measure is perhaps the most important III view
! of the mcnaces of tie Provincial authorities.
But as soon as ii is proposed the iiabby Tree
trade journals begin to sheer ut the American
! Navy and to dcprecate what they choose to
consider warlikc buster against Great Britain.
! If these carping critics are familiar with AmCri-
can history they must know that the United
States Government has repeatedly been forced
to adopt this course. Mr. Van Buren, sent a
vessel in 1889 to the Banks; Mr.. Pierce
ordered not one but several ships of war to
cruise in those waters. Here are Democratic
prccedents 10 which the present Administration
ought to give heed. If American fishing YES
sells are to be seized, searched and condemned
in defiance of international law, as has beer
done in the past, there ought to be vessels o!
war on the ground to watch the operations.