The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-08-07
Canada Fishing Troubles Explained.

The following history of the fisheries
dispute we copy from the New York Star :
The treaty of 1918 acknowledged the right
ofAmericans to fish within marine miles of
of the British American coast, and gave
our vessels the privilege of entering British
American harbors "for the purpose of shell
ter and of repairing damages, of purchas-
ing wood and obtaining water, and for no
other purpose whatever" The Canadians
have always interpreted this clause literally
The government of the United States has
insisted that the privilege granted was to
go into Canadian ports for the purposes
mentioned without custom house formali-
ties, since any American vessel has, by the
general custom of nations, the right to en-
ter open British ports for trade or other
purposes on complying with the customs
regulations.
Thus it will be seen that from the be-
ginning there was difference of opinion as
to the Interpretation of the treaty, and to
this was shortly added the headland dis
pute. The Canadians claimed that the
three-mile limit was out in the open sea,
measured from line running from head
land to headland, while the Americans
claimed that it entered all straits and bays
conforming to the coast line.
Out of these and other disputes there
arose serious dissensions in 1886, 1888,
1889, 1841 and 1852. In the latter year
British war vessels were sent to the Cana
dian coast to enforce the British view.
Excitement ran just as high then as it does
now, and of course there was much blus-
tering talk, but everything was peaceably
settled by the reciprocity treaty of 1854,
and the fishermen of both countries sailed
and fished side by side in amity.
In 1865, after eleven sears of perfect
peace, Republican administration abro-
gated the reciprocity treaty, and the trou-
bles began again. For three years there
after the Canadian government granted,
and the American fishermen accepted, Ii
cences to fish in Canadian waters, but the
steady increase of the tax under such Ii
eenses rapidly reduced the number of
American vessels applying for them, and
the Canadian government abolished the
system of issuing them in 1870. There
was again serious trouble, and the English
government again sustained the Canadian
view of the treaty stipulations.
In 1871 a new settlement was reached
by the Treaty of Washington, by which
the fishermen of both countries were
granted the right to catch fish anywhere
on the shores Of either, with equal priyi-
Ieges in the ports of both. Canada still
asserted her former claims and asked COM
pensation for surrendering them. The
matter was referred to arbitration, and
she was awarded the monstrous sum of
s5,50O,O00, which was paid. By this
treaty, made by Republican administra-
ton, the claims of Canada were for the
first time acknowledged by the United
States. Yet, though these claims were
thus acknowledged and bought off at SO
enormous price, almost the last act Of
the Republican party before it was forced
from power was the abrogation of this
treaty. All the old troubles thus seemed
about to be renewed when the present adj
ADMINISTRATION came into power.
From that time on Dir. Bayard has done
all that could be done to maintain the
rights and assure the safety of our fish
ermehs He managed to avoid trouble last
summer by securing promise from the