Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-12
THE COMING FISHERIES DEBATE.

The expectation raised by the resolution
Of the United States Senate to have the
debate upon the fisheries treaty phono-
graphically taken, is that that body will
make public its deliberations upon the
treaty question. 1t is to be hoped that
this will be done. An enlightened per-
ception of the question is not to be gained
by reading the fragmentary dispatches
concerning the issues involved. 1t is one
of those subjects that demands patient,
exhaustive and long examination, cover
ing the whole period from 1918 to this
date, and all the treaties made and con-
yentions held upon the question. There
have been several able monographs given
to the public npon the subject within the
past few months. While the majority of
them have correspondent with the view
now taken by the majority of the Senate
committee, adverse to the new treaty
stipulations, others have held that wisdom
dictates some such settlement of the
troublesome question as is advised by Mr..
Bayard's treaty. The extreme view of
the opponents of the treaty is that the
concessions made are all to the advantage
Of Canada, because of her proximity to
the fishery banks, and by which she can
exercise the right to close her ports to our
vessels and debar them from ordinary COM
mercial privileges usually accorded by ma
tions, unless American ports are opened to
free admission of Canadian fishery pro-
ducts.
On the other hand the conservatives,
who are represented by the minority re-
port, claim that the treaty accords with
all natural rights upon which the Ameri-
can Government can insist. and that the
agreement now reached opens the way to
the amicable adjustment of any further
difficulties that may arise. The friends
of the treaty will also be found contend
ing that its rejection will place upon the
American Government a grave response
bility, and that a rejection will still leave
the concessions and agreements of the re-
cent convention as a basis for future
negotiations. Evidently the British
Government takes the same view
of the result of rejection, since Mr. Cham
berlain, in his speech at Birmingham on
the oath of April, was careful to say
" We have at least succeeded in putting
on record, in the most formal and authori-
tative way, the opinion of three Govern
ments, of the Executives of three nations,
as to what constitutes a just and honorable,
a fair and reasonable, settlement of the
differences that have arisen between
them" In view of these positions the
forthcoming debate in the Senate will be
looked for with profound interest, and the
hope will be generally expressed, as it is
certainly entertaine ed, that the discussion
will be made public from day to day. The
Senate will have all the facts before it.
The record of the late negotiations is in its
P0N'No0i0h, 'he "Hole history vi Tie HSn-
cries troubles since 1918 will be at its
command, and it will not be difficult for
the people to sift out the chaff and de-
termine precisely what national honor
and the demands of justice dictate shall
be done. Of one thing no reasonable man
can be blind-that it is the hight of I'M
wisdom and the most despicable of courses
to judge the issues from mere partisan
standpoint.