The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-05-20
the FISHERY QUESTION.
France Claims that her Rights
have been Infringed Upon.
American Fishermen Urged TO Stand
Firm.

The Paris correspondent of the New York
Herald cables to that journal as follows; The
Canada fishery question is watched by the
French government with tho closest ottcn-
ton Thousands OF families on the coasts of
Brittany and Normandy earn n livelihood by
the fishing industry ON tho banks of Nova
Scotia and Newfoundland. French fishing
fleets leave the ports of Granville Brest, ST,
Malo, St Brieuc, Fecamp, Dieppc, st. lialery
and CauX in the middle OF March
and return at the end of September.
The port of Granville alone sent
TO Newfo midland i3 vessels aud 800 fish T.
men. But tn, future Of the entire trade
is far from brilliant, owing to the
restrictions and annoyanceS of tho
existing arrangements with England, bywhich
the French are excluded from the best grounds
from obtaining bait and from having tempo
rary stations on the shore for drying and cur
ing fish, During the last few days have
conVersed freely on this subject with over
dozen thoroughly representative French
neutrality-suspicious. Royalists, Imperial
lists and RadicalS-who express nearly
the same opinions so that almost the unani-
nous feeling of all who have considered the
matter may be thus freely stated; France
has endeavor d in vain by the treaties of
Utrecht, Paris, Versailles, 1868 and liS3, and
by the convention of 1889, to secure fair play
for French fishermen in Canada wate 5.
The British Interpretation that the three mile
limit means a strai2ht line from cape to
cape, thus excluding the French from the in
lets and bays of the deeply inlented coast
which are the best batting and fishing
grounds, is very unfair. The three mile limit
coast. Last year treaty was prepare d,
after much difficulty and discus
sion, between France and England
which, if ratified, would give the French
fishermen better show; but, owing TO the
stubborn opposition Of the ST. Johns Parlia-
ment-an opposition probably instituted and
from the mother country--this treaty has not
yet been ratified, and probably never VIII be-
The interests of France in the matter of
the Canadian fisheries on the main
points are identical with those of the
United States, although in some minor de-
tails they may be found to conflict; but the
joint diplomatic pressure of France and the
United States would certainly better the
situation of the fishing interests of France
and be the quickest way to settle, once and
for all, the entire question, closing forever
the open pretext for iutrigues and disputes
which has so long existed between France
and England.
Among the persons l talked with Oh the
subject was NJ. Clemenceau, whose strong
American sympathies are evinced by two
splendid portraits of Washington and Lincoln
III the hall of his appointment and who said:
II am not quite prepared TO express myself
at length as to the proper course of the
French government in this matter,
but the interests of France and
the United States seem to be identical
Ten hers on the Brittany coast, between
st. Brieuc and Brest expressed the same
views as NJ BlssOn lies Pierrcs. had a long
conversation on the Canadan fishery queS-
ton with an eX-caGinet minister and
ono of the most deserving of French
statesmen. lie said Il hope the
i hand to lie forced or be led astray
from the main issue by getting involved in
useless discussion of technical tlivialtics
about the seizure of the David J. Adams or
even the especially prepared test case { f Frank
Williams The brond, vital question is that
your New England fishermen have just cause
of complaint against England.