Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-24
TIE FISHERIES DISPUTE.
Steps Taken by the Government in the
Matter.

TIE FISHERIES DISPUTE.
Steps Taken by the Government in the
Matter.
! by Telegraph
NEW YORK, May 22d-The Post has the
| following Washington special The State
| Department is actively engaged in negotia-
tons designed to protect the interests of
American fishermen. There has as yet
been no official declaration of its position,
and for manifest reasons. While negotia-
tons are in their present stage the Admin
istraron cannot properly make public the
correspondence which il has had with the
British Minister here and with our Minis
! ter to England, but an unofficial rumor
from Secretary Bayard, which follows, will
show that he has the interests of the Amer
lean fishermen at heart. Senator Frye, of
Maine, recently addressed the Secretary of
State the following letter:
WASuINGTON, May 10Th
Hon Thomas f. Bdyurd, Secretary of Sale
DEAR SIR: respectfully submit to your consid-
Grafton the inclosed telegram received this
morning from the President of the American
Fishing Union. | assume that the State Depart
ment is giving this matter such consideration as
its importance demands. The urgency of i'm
mediate action for the protection and relief of
those American citizens cannot be overesi-
mated. regard the conduct or the Canadian
Government as entirely unjuStiiable and with
out authority of treaty, OF law or of good neigh
w. P FRYE.
Enclosed was the telegram already printed
in these dispatches. To this letter Secre-
tary Bayard has sent the following reply:
Unofficial DEPARTMENT OF STATE
WASHINGTON, d. c., May 10Th
Hon. William T. Frye, United States Senatt-DEAR
SIR: Before your note of to day was received, a
telegram of similar purport, in relation TO the
IN oil rafa
Julia to purchase herring for smoking at Digby,
has been received, and steps have been taken
by me to ascertain all the facts, and instant
representations will be made to the British
Minister to call to account the Collector at
Digby for what consider gross breach of the
commercial rights of the citizens of the United
States. The late reprehensible actions of the
canadian officials in relation TO American fish
ing vessels have occurred in remote localities
without facilities for postal communication, and
consequently there has been some delay, regret
able, but unavoidable in receiving consular re-
ports, but your assumption that the Depart
ment is giving the matter such consideration as
its importance demands viii, l believe, be
fully sustained when the proper time arrives
for the publication OF its action ] trust | am
properly conscious of the delicate and import
ant public functions intrusted to me- and that
the interests and honor of my country, and the
rights of the citizens will not be found TO have
suffered at my hands. Very respectfully, Yours,
I. +. -BAYARD.
A gentleman who has talked with Score.
tary Bayard upon this subject within day
or two says that he is as much interested
III the matter as either of the Maine Sena-
tors can be, and that he has great regard
Tor the fishermen. He expresses himself
very forcibly in regard to the conduct of
the Canadian authorities, and looks at the
question as an American and not from a
party standpoint. He SAYS that there is no
politics in it, and that the action of the de-
but he can assure any Congressional friend
of the fishermen that everything that is
possible is being done to protect their inter
ests. With regard to the refusal of the
Collector of Customs at Digby to permit the
agent of the Jennie and Julia to buy her
ring there to smoke, he said that he HAD
instructed Consul General Phelan to go at
once to Digby and investigate the matter
Secretary Bayard deprecated any attempt
on the part of the fishermen to coerce the
Canadian Government by force of arms,
and said that every step in that direction
would weaken the United States and
strengthen Canada. He hoped also that
American fishermen would strictly observe
| the local customs and regulations in Can
ada.
PORTLAND (Me.), May 22d-The proprie-
tors of the schooner Ella NJ Doughty, I'M
hti otiLulC ny lIlC :,
received a dispatch from Englshtown,
Cape Breton, to-day, from Captain Doughty,
in which he says: Consul-General Phe-
Ian has been here, but can't do anything
The vessel is stripped"
PORTLAND (Me.), May 22d-At special
meeting of the City Council to day resolu-
lions were passed denouncing the acts of
the Canadian Government in Selling Amer
lean schooners as an insult TO the flag, cali
ing for reparation, and in case it is refused
asking that the Government of the United
States adopt retaliatory measures. The
resolutions are to be sent to the Maine Sem
ators.
a Portland firm has on the way a Cana
dian schooner with full cargo of bait, and
arrangements are being made to establish a
station beyond the three-mile limit, serv-
ice that will give the American fishermen
all the bait they want.
OTTAWA (Ont), May 22d.-The Govern
ment has received an official report from
Captain Scott ofthe Lansdowne, of the seiz-
ure of the Adams. 1t confirms in every re-
spect the previous advices received by tele-
graph. The fact appears to be that the
vessel, even if it be proved that she was
buying bait, cannot under existing laws be
held answerable for such contravention of
international agreement. The law provid-
ing for the seizure of foreign vessels for GER
tain offenses is SO worded that buying bait
is not an offense under it. Mitchell. ex-
Minister OF Marine Fisheries, who prepared
the legislation under which the seizure was
presumably made, purposely omitted the
buying of bait from the list OF offenses, be-
lieving that bait should be regarded as an
article of commerce and the buying of bait
as commercial transaction.