The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-19
THE FISHERIES.
Captain Joyce's Experience In the
Novelty.
Mr.. Bayard's Communication TO
Minister West.

Mr.. Bayard's communication to
Minister West.
Captain FL. B. Joyce, who commands 'he
fishing steamer Novelty of Portland now Oh
his way home with very large eaten OF
mackerel, has stated that the Novelty hao
many difficulties to contend with since reach
ing the bay. The crew were refused all mar
Dor privileges at Pictou, except to get Woou
and water. They could not get pound Oh
coal under any circumstances. When asked
if they could not have the right to purchase
fuel outside the three mile limit, the Gus
toms authorities replied that the government
would not have the power to touch the NOV
city for taking COAL but the cruisers would
seize the vessel that carried it to her. on
this account the captain was unable to ma
any dealer who would venture to sell, al
though several expressed desire to do SO.
On what ground the government asserts this
authority the fishermen have been unable TO
learn. The most startling fact connected
with the Novelty's trip is the reception oil
her crew by the government authorities at
Tignish. From the story which Captain
Joyce told it appears that, being in need of
wood and water, the Novelty entered the
harbor at Tignish, and was duly registered
at the custom house. "The officers there, y
said Captain Joyce, 'were very determined
in assuring me that the Novelty would only
water. Every man who left the steamer was
Swallowed by the authorities, who stood rea-
dy to forcibly prevent them from buying a
thing except the regulation articles, wood
and water"
Captain Joyce said he applied at the post
office for letters for himself and crew which
had been sent to them through the United
States mails to that address. The authori-
ties refused to deliver them to him, saying
that under the treaty he was denied the right
of the international mail system. Much in
dignation is manifested by our fishermen
over this new and uncalled for indignity'
They denounce the Canadian government in
the strongest terms. In regard to the non
delivery of letters, Canadian of1clai al
Port Mulgrave said Friday:
81 presume Captain Joyce's statement is entire
" correct If the government tried It's DeSt II
could scarcely secure a more ignorant ana worth
less set of men than the post ONCE inspectors
along the coast Many of them are DESTROYS o.
getting little notoriety. They therefore Wl1ully
bother the fishermen, in the hope that in the TACT
of their Importance they may be mentioned il
the papers of New England If a Canadian gov
eminent official has in any way used MS ofncla
influence to prevent captain 9}oyce OF ms efeS
he has greatly overstepped the bounds OF law ano
justice, and has brought the government into Sc
in IN 81 matter. Under
present American fishermen have full rlgnt Z
land and enjoy the privileges that were formerly
extended to them, except to stay in port over "a
hours or purchase supplies to be used for profess
ional services"
AN OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION.
Secretary Bayard has addressed a com
munication to the British minister, calling
attention to the letter recently received a
the State Department from Representative
Boutelle of Maine, and which has appeared
in the public press Mr. Bayard states that i
the facts are as set forth in Mr.. Boutelle's let
ter, the proceedings of the Canadian author
tiles were unjust, and an explanation is dut
the United States government. The secre-
tary says that as soon as the present adj
ministration came into power the New Eng
poured into Washington with appeals fol-
protection for their fishing interests; Al
secretary of state, he communicated thu
situation to the Senate, and proposed the ap
pointment of commission to arbltrate OF
the subject This proposition the Republi
can Senators refused to consider and ignored
it. The appeal of the American fishermen
was SO loud and long that Mr.. Bayard, aftel
consultation with the British minister
secured concession from the Canadian
authorities, under which the American fisher
men were permitted to finish their FISHING
season undisturbed until the spring of th'
present year. This whole controvers,
might have been aavoided had the Senate
acted upon the suggestion of the State DE
partment and consented to frame treat.
bearing upon, the fisheries question Mr.
Bayard says the fisheries question can onl.
be settled by treaty, and that fact will b.
recognized sooner or later, and the people o
the country will also see that the presen
administration is not slow to protect tn
| rights of American citizens.
THE MACKEREL CATCH.
The old stock is fast cleaning up, and un
tef luck dealers will have no mackerel t.
work with. Only 68 barrels all told wer
! landed by the New England fleet for tn
week ending Saturday, against 1851 bar
| rels for the corresponding week last yeal
| and the total New England catch to date, a
given by the Boston Fish Bureau, is onI
| $3.50 barrels against 8,644 barrels same tim
| liant year, a deficiency of 1904 barrels. A
| this time in 1884 the catch was 60,571 barrels
and for a long series of years previous tn
catch ran largely ahead of this seasons
| There are all sorts of opinions as to tn
whereabouts of the mackerel, but nobod
can exactly locate them. Schools are re
| ported to have been seen in several places t
| the eastward, but no large catches have bee
| made. Four small trips of fresh mackere
were brought in to Boston on Wednesda
| from off Portland, and as the fish were Q
| good size they sold readily, at 8 to 10 cent
| apiece. The captains say there is evidenc
| of mackerel being on the coast and that the
expect them to appear in large quantitie
| shortly.
| Two schooners arrived at Proyincetown O
| Thursday from a ten days cruise from Cap
Elizabeth to Cape Sable, and brought HON
| only two and eight barrels of mackerei, re
| spectively. The captains saw no schools
| and the few fish they had were taken wit
| hook and line. They think there are n
| large quantities of mackerel ON the MasSa
| chusetts coast.
| A Port Hawkesbury dispatch states tina
| several American fishing SchoOnerS paSSe
| through the straits within the last few days
| and with full fares of mackerel, taken i
| North Bays. The fishing steamer Noyelt
| is reported having fshed off Miminigasf
| and off Kildare, inside the three-mile limit
| 1t is understood that the Landsdowne ha
| information of this, and is now in pursuit 0
her.
OTHER MATTERS.
The armed fishing schooner Augusta I
h6rTlcB, WHICH, lGlb DOotOu, Ouly ieh, OouA'
for ST. Lawrence Bay, dropped anchor Of
the custom house at Port Mulgraye Frida
noon. Capt. Merrick Immediately wen
ashore and entered his arrival The collecto
said that water privileges would be extende'
for twenty-four hours only, Notwithstanding
the condition of the weather at the end 0
that time. If the vessel was not out of tn
port then she would be seized.
Mr.. E. G. Willard has notified the captain
of all his vessels that they will be discharged
from the firms employ if they go int
Canadian ports except on account of distres
or stormy weather.
The Portland fishing schooner Margare
Smith passed Port Mulgrave, N. S., 18th, OF
her way home with 500 barrels large mack
erel.
The United States does not appear in eithe
of the suits against the Doughty and til,
"Adams." The authority of the counsel EN-
ployed by the United States is in accordance
with the letter addressed by MI. Bayard tt
Mr. Lewis, published a few days ago.
The Death Rate.
The whole number of deaths in the city fol