The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-05-22
THE FisHFRIms.
Important Correspondence Between
Senator Frye and Secretary
of state Bayard.
The Latter Says He Is Doing Ali He
Can Under the circumstances.
The Crew of the Doughty to Start for
Home To-Day.
Especial to the Pres

WASHINGTON, d. c., May 2.-Mr. Frye
received Thursday from Mr.. George Steele,
President of the American Fishery Union, a
telegram announcing the refusal of the GUS
toms officials at Digby, N. S., to permit the
captain of the schooner Jennie and Julia to
purchase herring for any purpose whatever
as indicated in the despatch from Eastport
in the PRESS of the 20th. The following cor
respondence between Senator Frye and Sec
retary of State Bayard ensued:
SENATE CHAMBER, May 20.
Hon. Z. Il. Bayard, Secretary Of State:
Dear Sir-l respectfully submit TO your
consideration the inclosed telegram received
this morning from the President of the Anne
rcan Fishery Union. / assume that the
State Department is giving this matter such
consideration as its Importance demands.
The,urgency of immediate action for the pro-
lection and relief of these American citizens
cannot be over estimated. regard the con
duct of the Canadian government as entirely
uniustifiable and without authority of treaty
law OF good neighborhood
VIM. P. FRYE
In reply Secretary Bayard wrote as fol-
lows:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, May 20.
Hon. WIn, p. Frye:
Dear Sir-Before your note of to-day was
received telegram of a similar purport III
relation to the refusal to allow the American
schooner Jennie and Julia to purchase heT-
ring for smoking at Digby. had been received
and steps had been taken by me to ascertain
all the facts, and instant representations nad
been made to the British minister to call TO
account the collector of customs at Dlgby Tor
what consider a gross breach of the com
mercial rights of citizen, OF the United
States. The late reprehensible action OF the
Canadian officials in relation to American
fishing vessels has occurred IN remote lOcaH-
ties without facilities foT posIal eonlllunlca 81
ton, and consequently there has been q de-
law regretable but unavoidable, IN receiving
the consular reports. But your assumption
'That this department is giving the matIer
such consideration as its Importance de,
mands," will, l believe be fully sustained
when the proper time arrives for the publica-
ton of its action. trust am properly con
scious of my duty as an official charged with
the execution of delicate and lmportant pup
lie functions, and that the interests ana nonor
of my country and the rights Of its citizens
will not be found to have suffered at my
hands.
Very respectfully yours,
7. f. BAYARD.
CANso. N. S., May 21.-Scarcely day
passes without seeing one or more American
fishing vessels boldly enter Canso harbor and
anchor off the custom house. 1t is believed
that while they come here ostenslbly for
water. their ,real object is to gain inform
alton about bait and ice. They generally
make Fox Island after leaving Canso ana
there purchase,all the bait and ice they re-
ouire. Several vessels have within the last
week iced and baited in Chebucte Bay but
owing to the extreme precautions taken Dy
shippers to keep their intentions and the
names of their vessels secret 1t Is very GILL
usual to see American fishing schooners, once
the acme of neatness, with sails dangling
over their sterns. Whether this is the result
of negligence or whether it is done to cover
the names of the vessels IS matter OF doupt
A Gloucester shipper, native OF this
country, who was interviewed to-day treats
the cruiser business as a huge joke. we
can" he said, ''get all the ice and bait we
want right under Capt Scott nose. Dozens
of vessels have done so and only the Adams
has been caught and she needn't have been
had the folks in charge been wide awake.
? The Lansdowne," he continues, is alb
solutely useless and the schO0nerS are as yet
mere phantom ships. We haven't seen them
yet and if we should there's not a ship sail
ing from Gloucester that could not run away
from any of them"
Continuing, he said there was no impedl,,
ment to Americans procuring all the ice and
bait they required in the vicinity OF Canso,
and pointed in the direction OF Fox Island.
In reference to Canadian ice and bait, he
said, ''We will not be able to make our trips
unless we get it, and get it we must at all
hazards" He argued strongly from Glou
cester standpoint, and upon his want Of pa
triotism being pointed out he SAID, II IL
were not for Gloucester we Nova ScotianS
would starye. We have been driven out OF
our own country because of confederation
and subsequent bad government. and IN
Gloucester we have done well. The skip
pers and crews of American vessels are in
yariably Nova Scotians, and they find no diff
ticulty in obtaining all the supplies they re-
quire. They know every quiet nook on the
coast, and in nearly every instance meet with
old friends ashore.
ENGLIsHTowN, C. B., May 21.-Consul
General Phelan arrived today and took the
dispositions of the captain and crew OF the
Ella NJ. Doughty, and also interviewed the
customs officer and found out on what
charges the vessel is held, which are neglect
ing to enter at the custom house and pur-
chasing bait. A man named Mcleod first
gave the information which led TO the
seizure Consul Phelan thinks this is par
ticularly hard case, as the. captain was
ignorant of the fact that Englishtown was
port of entry, and nobody told him or asked
him to enter, which he would have done
immediately had he known it was necessary,
and bought bait on the strength of his per-
nit Consul Phelan took an inventory OF
the articles on board the schooner, which
had not been done previously, He will re- re-
Doughty will be forwarded to the United
States on Monday via steamer from Bad,
deck The ships papers, which were seized
at first, were not handed over to the captain.
OTTAWA, May 21.-The bill amending the
act respecting fishing by foreign vessels. in
Canadian waters, was read for the third time
and passed today, and will probably be-
come a law within week.