Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-05-24
THE FISHERIES TROUBLE.

To a fully intelligent understanding Of
men and the British authorities, and
which has resulted in the seizure OF
several American Il shing vessels by the
English, and in call by Congress for
the facts, u succinct statement OF the his
tory OF our fishery interests, as related
by English authority, is necessary. 1t is
by no means difficult OF comprehension.
In brief, this is the story OF tho fisheries
trouble:
BY treaty with Great Britain, September,
l7S3, recognizing our independence, our
right TO fish on the Great Banks and all
other Newfoundland banks, and in the Gulf
of st. Lawrence, was conceded as existing
and to continue. Also, the liberty to fish on
tho Newfoundland coast as the British
might designate, but not to dry or cure on
the island, and a like grant extended TO all
coasts, bays and creeks of English domin-
cure in unsettled bays and creeks of Nova
Scotia, the Magdalen Islands and Labrador,
but that right to cease as such places be-
came settled. This treaty We have regarded
as equivalent to deed of partition, and
therefore permanent. The English held
that it was not unity, part being per-
manent and part subject TO abrogation, and
that they were abrogated by ,he war of
1912.
In 1914 the treaty of Ghent was made and
was silent as to fisheries, because the coun-
tries could not agree on tho question, Con-
hicts between our fishermen and British
authorities followed until a new treaty was
made October, 1913. That recognized our
right to fish on the south Newfoundland
coast, from Cape Ray to the Rameau Islands
fha
TO the Quirpon Islands; on the shores of the
Nagdalen Islands; on coasts, bays and
creeks from Mont July, on the south coast
OF Labrador, through the straits of Belle
Isle and northward indefinitely, and TO dry
and cure in unsettled bays. We renounced
the right TO fish, dry and cure within three
marine miles of any other British-American
coast, but reserved the right to enter Eng
lish bays and harbors for shelter, to repair
damages, buy wood and obtain water, and
for no other purposes.
In doing this We knowingly omitted the
words ito procure bait" Afterwards we
We're anxious to have this privilege of buy
ing bait in English harbors. The English
objected to our renouncing tho liberty to
fish, dry or cure in territory not embraced
in the specified limits, because they did not
wish it to appear by implication that we had
secured new grant but that we held TO our
doctrine of The treaty of 1853 being an exc
cuted ,rant, perpetually secured, and which
tney challenged, Inc English themselves
passed several laws for the seizure of vessels
violating the terms of the treaty of 1873
Many of these wero claimed TO be in excess
of the authority of the treaty. Seizures and
oonfscatiOns followed. Maokerel fishing
sprang up, and the whole matter became
more and more yexatious to both parties
For instance, an American fisher ten or tif,
teen miles from the coast, in tho Bay OF
Fundy, would be seized as within three
miles of shore, the British claiming that the
limit counted from line drawn from head
land to headland, while We contended that
It meant line parallel with tho meander
lngs of the shore of the bay, aud three mile,
distant therefrom.
SO matters continued with increasing
friction, and many demands, yoluminou,
diplomatic correspondence, etc, until 1853
when We agreed TO Commission to arbi
trate. The umpire decided our construo
tion of the three-Inile limit TO be correct
because the Bay of Fundy was l3O mile
long, and not a bay at all, within the mean
ing of the treaty of 1918.
In 1854 a treaty Of reciprocity was con
cluded. The first article gave, in addition
70 the liberty secured by the treaty of lsls
the right to fish along the shores Of Canada
New brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prime
Edwards Island and adjacent islands, with
out regard to distance from shore; and TIA
right to land on such shores. and those o
Magdalen Islands to dry nets and cure fish