The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-06-04
THE FISH ny QUESTION
Comes Up in the Ssnats-sOmo Action
Asked For,

| Asked For,
WASHINGTON, June SIN the Senate
to-day petition from the City Council Of
Gloucester, Mass was presented by Mr..
Dawes and referred. The petition prays
for retaliation on the Canadian Gov.
ernment for the seizure Of American Rsh.
ing vessels.
Mr.. Dawes, In presenting the petition,
said there seemed TO be q disposition on
the part VI the Canadian Government To
harass and embarFRss Citz4ns OF the
United States in what could not but be
considered lawful commerce. Simple
commercial transactions, such as the plr.
chase OF provisions rier6ly, had been the
cause of the seizure Of vessels OF the United
States. IL seemed 10 many persons that
there was some dilatoriness on the mart Of
those clothed with the duty OF projecting
our commerce. He had no doubt that the
Committee on Foreign Relations were Hly.
lug the subject proper consideration, but
Mr.. Dawes inquired whether the commit.
tee could give some assurance that might
go to the public, that measures would be-
taken which would protect our citizens In
their rights.
MIR. Edmunds said the Committee on
Foreign Relations had no power to pro.
teCt American commerce, or American
citizens, That belonged 10 the Executive
Department OF the Government aud was
part OF It's duty under the laws OF the
United States and the laws Of nations,
In the absence OF definite information wa
must presume that the Executive Depart.
ment Of the Government was doing every.
thing It could TO protect citizens Of the
United States whose vessels had been
seized or unkindly dealt with by the Do.
minion OF Canada. OF course It might
have happened that some OF these Yea.
sels-it might possibly have happened
that all OF them-had been guilty of
violation Of existing laws II the Domin.
ion Of Canada. AB they had been seiz.d
by the public authorities OF Canada, OF
course there must be public pretension
on the part Of those officers that such was
the case.
WILL FIND SOME WAY.
Mr.. Edmunds hoped 1t would turn out
that the vessels were innocent Of any
violation Of Dominion law, or Of public
law, and that they had been engaged in
doing what was allowed by the intercourse
Of nations, by the laws OF their own
country and Of the country 10 which thew
had gone; aud that the seizures would
therefore be dismissed without even tho
semblance Of probable cause. But that
depended, Of course, on q judicial INQUIRY
In the first Instance. He did not me IN 10
say that we wonld be bound to acuniesce
In the results of a Canadian judicial In.
quiry, II we thought those results unjust
and improper.
II any OF the vessels should be con.
demned, and the United States were Of
opinion that the condemnation was I'm.
just we should not be bound BY Rny
principle ofpublic justice 10 aCQuiesce In
It. II we had any spirit left, as hs thought
We had, and any strength left, as he
thought we had, though for some reason
We had not been very successful In get.
ting anaVy or In arming our sea coast,
yet in,goms way the rights OF citiz4ns OF
the United States would be yindicsted II
they had been violated.
Continuing, Mr.. Elmnnds said The
President, II he had BiRhed the recent act
OF Congress on this subject, now had the
power to retaliate for Ruy injustica done
our vessels In Canada, or elsewhere. II
that act had become 4 law, and II our
British brethren were sGrainiug point Ia
order to force tis into convention OF
reciprocity, or "iree fish," or anything
rlse. II was now within the plweF OF the
President to take such msasurss as would
tend to correct the abuse. 80 far as the
Committee Of Foreign Relations was con.
cerned, however, the subject was too i'm.
mature to enable Mr.. Eimunds 10 make
any public declaration as to how the mat.
ter was, or what ought 10 be done about II.
Mr.. Dawes remarked that 1t could not
have escaped the observation Of the com.
mittes that armed cruisers of the Canadian
Government we're about the waters on the
borders Of the three. mile limit, in search
Of American vessels, In order that they
might under some pretenss or other seize
lhnda