Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-12-10
THE FISHERIES DISPUTE.
CORRESPONDENCE ON THE SUBJECT
SENT TO THE SENATE.

Extracts from Some of the Letters Writ
ten by Secretary Bayard and Earl
Roseberry-Ihe Days Doings in the
Senate and House - Committees at
Work.
WASHINGTON CITY, Dec l0-The presi-
dent sent mass of correspondence to the
senate Wednesday, it being that relative to
the fisheries question which has passed be-
tween Secretary Bayard and the representa-
tives of the British government. The presi
dent introduces the matter by declaring that
the Canadian government action was unwar
ranted and unfriendly, and the secretarys
letters are specimens of vigorous diplomacy.
The secretary's first letter detailed the facts
of the first seizures and commented upon
them.
On May 20 Secretary Bayard addressed a
| second letter to Minister West, concerning
the continued detention of the schooner
Adams, which concludes as follows:
thrust you will join with me in realizing
| the urgent and essential importance of re-
stricting all arrests of American fishing YES
| sells for supposed OF alleged violations of the
convention of 1918 within the limitations and
conditions laid down by the authorities of
| Great Britain in 1870, to-wit: That no YES
sci shall be seized unless il is evident and can
| be clearly proved that the offense of fishing
has been committed, and the vessel itself
| captured within three miles of land.
On May % Secretary Bayard wrote to
Minister West regarding the passage by the
Canadian house of commons of a bill propos-
| ing the forcible search, seizure, and forfeiture
of any foreign vessel within any harbor in
| Canada or towering within the thiee-mile
| limit where such vessel has entered such
| waters for any purpose not permitted by the
laws or nations, or by treaty or convention,
| or by any law of the united kindgom or OF
| Canada now in force. The secretary adds:
| hasten to draw your attention to the
wholly unwarranted proposition of the
| Canadian authorities, through their local
| agents arbitrarily to enforce according &c
their own construction the provisions of any
convention between the United States and
Great Britain, and, by the Interpolation OF
| language not found in any such treaty and
| by Interpretation not claimed or conceded
by either party to such treaty.
Continuing, regarding circular from the
Ottawa customs department, assuming tC
execute the provisions of the treaty of 1918
the secret tary says.
Such proceedings l conceive to be fla
grantly violative of the reciprocal CONNER.
cial privileges to which citizens of the United
States are lawfully entitled under statutes Of
Great Britain, and the well-defined and pub
hcly proclaimed authority of both countries,
besides being, in respect of the existing con
venhons between the two countries, an as
sumption of jurisdiction entirely unwar
ranted, and which Is wholly denied by tn
| United States.
Under date of July 29, Earl Roseber,
writes to Minister West, acknowledging tn
receipt of a dispatch from the minister in
closing copy of note addressed to him b,
Secretary Bayard referring to the seizur
, of the Joseph Storey and Davi,
J. Adams. The earl incloses a copy o
al approved report of the Canadial
privy counsel justyfying the cours
of Canada in the matter and states that he
t majestys government entirely concurs i
that passage of the report in which it is OF
served that ''if the provisions of the conver
J tion of 1918 have become inconvenent t
either contracting party, the utmost tina
. good will and fair dealing can suggest j
5 that the terms shall; be reconsidered.' Th
communication closes as foil ows;
. 1t is surely not unreasonable that Canad
should insist on the rights secured to her b.
| treaty. She is simply acting on the defen:
j., | i've, and no trouble can arise between til
| countries if American fishermen will onl
c recognize the provision of the convention c
| lsis as obligatory upon them, and until
new arrangement is made abstain both froI
fishing in her waters and from visiting he
bays and harbors for any purpose save thos
, specified IN the treaty The undersigne
would express the hope that the discusSio
which has arisen on this question may lea
to renewed negotiations between Grea
Britain and the United States, and NAV hav
the result of establishing extended trade ri
lations between the republic and Canads
\ and of removing all sources of irritation b
tween the two countries.
Iuclosed in Earl Roseberry's commune;
ton is also an extract from a letter from tt
marquis of Lansdowne, to Earl Granville, i
which he says:
Mr.. Bayard's statement that the dominic
government is seeking by its action in tn
matter to Invade anc destroy the comme
cial rights and privileges secured TO citizer
Of the United States under and by virtue
= treaty stipulations with Great Britain is nj
> warranted by the facts of the case. No a
tempt has been made either by the author
ties intruSted with the enforcement of tl
V existing law or by the parliament of the d,
- minion to interfere with vessels engaged
bona fide commercial transactions upon Il
coast of the dominion.
Under the date Of Oct Is Secretary Ba
ard iafter detailing to Minister West tt
circumstances Of the seizure Of the Evere
Steele, said:
If, as | can not permit myself to believ
Great Britain should refuse to citizens of Il
United States the enjoyment of the plaine
and most undeniable rights, the consequence
would lie SO serious that they can not
contemplated by this government but wit
great concern.