Morning journal and courier., 1886-12-10
FISHERMEN'S RIGHTS.

AMERICAN FISH HERM MENsS RIGHTS. 1 The Great Injustice That They Suffer l In Canadian Waters and Secretary l., Bayard's Stand for Change.
 GLOUCESTER, Mass, Dec. 9.-The general | express on of sentiment on Secretary Bayard's letter Is most favorable, the opinion being al- most universal that it was pointed and GOV | CTS the ground most efectually. General Steel, president of the American Fishing union, said: "We do not want any legislation upon the fisheries. What is wanted is that our government shall define the rights of American fishermen in Canadian waters and a designation of the fishing limit, whether three miles or ten."
 Sylvanus Smith thinks Bayard's idea right to the point and all that can be desired. He says: "It has been most one-sided. The Canadians have brought fish into our mar kets duty free, while American fishermen have been refused like privileges in Canadian ports. They have landed goods here and shipped them in bond to Canada and we could not. They would not allow us this privilege. The Canadians have participated in the coast trade upon the lakes and carried passengers back and forth, while American fishermen could not land men and skipper could not land his wife there" MT. Smith was well pleased with the Presi- dents message upon the fishery question. He said there was no buster about it.
 William Gaffeney likes the tenor of Secre- tary Bayards letter and says it contains good recommendations, and if he means this poli- cy and the carrying out of the ideas it will
 
 shippers, among them Captain Willard Pool and Captain Jacobs, have read Bayard's let ter and are pleased with it. Joseph Dennis, who cast his first presidential vote for Jack son, said: "They have been too nasty in expressing opinions about Bayard's position. It takes time for these matters"
 All concede that commission is necessary if the claims of American fishermen for losses incurred by seizures, detention of ves Gloucester fishermen favor a commission for the adjustment of claims which will be made by Americans, but do not wish to have the question left to any commission. It is believed the Senate committee which has investigated will be prepared to place the question right in Con gress. Ex-Collector Babson says: HMr. Bayard at last is beginning to see what every sensible man belonging to his party who has investigated this matter has long seen, the thorough intolerance and injustice of Cana da's position on the fisheries question. One firm word from him at the time of his ap- pointment would have stopped much of the injustice to which we have been subject. The ersti-~ l;-t -f seizures ana nues inflicted are not for fishing in British waters, but are for alleged violations of the local custom laws of Canada with fo..sA feet of cutters natroll;pe, her coast. Scarcely caa -of aotne1 fsh;,t65 bv American vessels has bee. fonnd- show hundred American vessels engaged in the mackerel fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off the coasts none of them have taken any inackerel inside the three mile limit and demonstrating that the fishery for lnackereI is operated in deep water entirely Outside the jurisdiction of Canada and that her three mile limit so far as being of value to Arer1- can fishermen is humbug which She is seeking to sell to the United States for a round sum. Canada has no in- shore fisheries that Americans use practically as fishermen, and her whole course this year has been prompted by the desire to force the United States into another reciprocity treaty and not to protect any fishery. For this purpose she has put her own construction on the treaty of 1915 and applied her customs laws to our vessels regardless of their rights under that treaty. She has seized vessels for failing to report when seeking shelter from storms and absolutely refused supplies to American vessels when they by rescuing shipwrecked Canadian fishermen have had their own supplies exhausted to feed them. Now our treaty rights under the treaty of 1918 to shelter to obtain wood or water or put in to repair are supreme and no local law can abridge or impair or limit our full ! endowment of these rights"