Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-04-30
The FhsAery Dispute

The id N n 'straiion has suffered q
Ieisat at the hands Of those IL should
Do able 10 claim as It's friends ON fhe
fishery question. The United States
Senate seemed TO have a better idea of
iuterna tionAl law than Mr. BsFard.
The latter has permitted himself % be
entrapped by tho British Minister into
q course Of conduct In regard TO our
fishery rights In Canadian waters
which was Mt once destructive Of the
great ssh industry OF the Eastern
States. He was led TO beEeve that
with the expiration of the fishery
treaty with Canada, the American
Asheranen were practically excluded
from the fishing waters of New Found
land aud Nova Scotia, al the British
Minister had inside him believe that
American fishermen had no right to
Hand In a Canadian port 90 ship crews,
bait, ice, or anything pertaining to the
b lsiuess Of fishing. So strongly i'm
y 'essed did Me, Sayard become with this
idea thGt he got the President to recon-
mend TO the Senate the appointment OF
n joint commission to settle the disy
pute. Though this was recommended
Wy DoCAotdbs bayAAu1 ~ Wno AOntiy bhc
plan Of Mr.. Sackville West, the British
Minister at WashiLg ton, with whom
Mr.. Bayard has been on the most init
mate terms outside of the Off cial rela-
tons that existed between them. OF
course M. Cleveland had net the
power OF discernment in the matter as
to what was right or what was wrong,
and he recommended the joint com
mission as Mr., Bayard desired. The
Senate, however, seems to have had q
way and a will Of its own In treating
with the subject. There were Senators
on the ADor from the States most
interested III the dispute who knew al
about the case, and all the intricAciel
of Legislation which had led the coun-
try into a treaty that was disad van
tageous to ii. Senators Freye and Hal,
were particularly we'll booked up on 8
question which they treated from q,
American standpoint, while Mr.. Bay
ard looked at 1t through British
spectacles loaned to him by the British
Minister. The Senate by the very de
uisive vote Of 30 to 10 declared its hos
tillty to the proposed commission, ant
q re-opening OF negotiations upon
subject In which the U nited States haG
always come off second best. TIL,
British Minister well knew, and Mr.
Bsyard should have known, that in tn
selection of the odd man of commits
@'on the u nited States has 10 bear th
disa vantage, as all governments o
Europe fiud 1t advisable to keep on tn
friendly side Of England unless Their
Ia reasonable chance Of combination
OF the powers against her. The priv vi
ieges of repairing vessels, recruiting
crews and buying Ice and bait, which
have been refused American fishermen
are general trade rights which are Gu
joyed reciprocally by British subject
in American ports, and by America
subjects iu British ports. Senate
Evsrts met the case when he said this
the purchase OF ice and bait reste
entirely upon commercial basis, an
there IL no warrant for the prOcli
NATION of warning issued by the CAM
dian Minister Of Marine. Ice and ba
being articles OF commerce, America
fishermen have the right to buy theI
In Canadian ports under British an
American law. There is nothing Il
An international tribunal to discus
and settle, and II Secretary BAyar
had taken pains to consult represe,
tatives OF the American fishing intel
est, instead of being entTapped h
foreign advisers, the President woul
have been spared the humiliation
having bis proposals rejected.