The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-05-29
THE FISHERIES.
Collector Anderson's Report In Re-
gard to the Sisters

An Associated Press dispatch from Wash
ington says that Acting Secretary Fairchild
yesterday received the report from Collector
Anderson in regard to the alleged detention
of the British schooner Sisters, in which
he says: 81 herewith transmit the statement
of Jesse Ellis, master of the British schooner
Sisters of Yarmouth, N. s., relating to
the penalty incurred by him in consequence
of violation of section 2S14, R. S. of the
United States. On this case have respect
fully to report that this vessel arrived and
entered at this port under circumstances
substantially as stated by Capt. Ellis. The
clearance to which he allu1es has on its
face the single word Fish as description
of his cargo. Nowhere on the clearance is
any reference made to kind, condition, guam
tity, by whom shipped or to whom con-
signed Very likely the discrepany between
his statement and the fact arises through
inadvertance on the part of the person en-
employed to draw up the statement. The
acting boarding officer at this port reported
to me through the surveyor, under date of
the oath inst, that this vessel arrived at
this port today and the captain
failed to produce manifest of
the cargo ON board of said schooner
In consequence of this the master was in
formed on entry that he was liable to PEN
! atty of $500 for failure to procure a manifest
upon his arrival within the limits of this col
lection district as provided by Section 2S14,
of the Revised Statutes of the United States,
that under an article of the treasury regula-
lions of 1884, relating to customs and navi-
CATION laws, the case would be submitted to
the Secretary of the Treasury before enforc-
ing the penalty. believe the reasons he
assigns for the failure to comply with the re-
quirements of the navigation laws and Gus
toms regulations of the United States to be
true | have not discovered any attempt on
his part to idefraud the revenue. He pre-
scented a manifest in proper form on entry of
his vessel, in which the cargo was set up as
taken ON board at Yarmouth, N. S., consist
ing of 100000 fresh mackerel shipped by w.
A. Killam, and consigned to F. L. Clements
& Co., consignees, residents at Portland,
and port of destination, Portland. In view of
the fact that the morning papers of this city
publish in full the statement of Capt. Ellis
as here enclosed, deem it proper to say that
the document was not furnished the press
by any officer connected with the customs
service at this port to my knowledge. re-
spectfully submit the case and await your
instructions thereon"
Captain Ellis statement referred to in the
above letter has already been published.
NOTES.
Captain Doughty and his crew left Hall
fax for Portland Thursday and were expect
ed here yesterday afternoon, but before go
ing were served with writs from the admir-
atty court for the forfeiture of the vessel for
violation of the treaty in buying bait.
A despatch from st. John says both the
Landsdowne and the General Middleton are
on!the warpath at present, the latter having
taken her departure for the cruising grounds
at an early hour. 1t is reported that there
are number ofAmerican fishing vessels pur-
chasing bait in the neighborhood of Grand
Manan. If this is so, lively times may be
expected in that quarter. Dispatches from
Yarmouth say that no American vessels
have been seen there since the announce
ment of the departure of the cruisers.
A Gloucester fisherman who has returned
to his home at Shelbourne, says he has been
fishing out of the State for some time, and
a small Portland schooner, intending to fish
on La Have Banks. The vessel was engaged
on the fifth lay, and consequently the crew
was to pay for outfits. They got an early
start and came down, as usual to Digby to
bait up, but the Lansdowne happend to lie
there, and they were forthwith ordered to
keep off, which they did for few days,
lodging around outside till they thought the
coast was clear; then they put back, only to
| find some cruiser there and be driven off
again. This was repeated several times, I'M
| til it became too monotonous to endure. The
Lansdowne, he said, once 'took hold of
them," but finally let them go on the prom
| Use not to do so again. The crew became
disguised, went into Cranberry Island, Me-,
and lay back till the grub was all gone"
therefore going home empty handed, but
| full of wrath at Captain Scott and the gov
eminent. Scores of American vessels, he
says, are hampered for want of bait, and are