Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-08-17
The Fisheries Treaty.
OF VIRGINIA,

OF VIRGINIA,
IN the Senate Of the United States
ThmSddy, August ,, 1888.
The Senate being in open executive ses
sion and having under consideration th'
treaty between the United States an6
Great Britain concerning the interpreta
tion of the convention of October ~, l-l7
signed at Washington February 10, 1855
Mr.. RIDDLEBERGER SAID
Mr.. President; The vote Just
taken think cOnclusively settles
the only question that can possibly
f be in controversy from this time on
in respect to this treaty, and that
is. that the Republican party ol
this country is opposed to the ratl
hcation of the pending treaty, and
that the Democratic party is III
favor of its ratification. Senators
who but a year ago made strong
and logical arguments against 1t
Senators who came from the com
mlttee room in which the treaty Is
supposed TO have been considered
have changed their views at this
session.
We find that on the other side OF
the Atlantic Ocean the treaty is
being considered as party ques.
ton, and we have a right to con
slider it as such on this side. We
have no prerOgative of right to
! PROFOUND an interrOgatOry to a
minister on this floor, and we can
not get an answer to such an in
curry as they do over there but
We have a right to Judge from the
documents here as to whether this
is representative American Gov
ernment or whether it is a pro-
English government.
/ | do not propose to discuss the
details of the fisheries treaty. |
propose to bring it to the consider
ation of the Senate simply as a
question which concerns the people
of this cOuntry-Others than those
engaged in the catching of bait and
the curing of fish.
Sir, ifit we're that, and that only,
/ would defer to the Senators and
to the Representatives at the other
end of this Capital from the East
ern section of this country, and
say to them that l am ready for
one to help you to protect your in
terests but the treaty involves
more than that. would go to
their rescue here with my vote (;
and | would expect every Ameri'
can citizen to come to the rescue of
the people OF the Atlantic coast
with his vote if any commercial
interest of ours was involved in a
matter of treaty with Great Brit.
ain.
When | offered my resolution
some months ago to consider this
question in open session, I had then
in my possession documents which
| was not permitted to give to the
public, and which led me to believe
that this treaty involved more
than the mere question of fish
cries rights between Canada and
the Eastern States. 1t concerns
the people of this whole Atlantic
coast. Ii concerns the people of the
Chesapeake Bay. The Senator
from Maryland, Mr.. Wilson did
not seem to comprehend what he
delivered himself of in the speech
in which he SAID he would invoke
the power of the Federal Govern
ment to prevent Canadian fisher
men from coming in,O the Chesa'
peake Bay.
have upon this table an opinion
rendered by one of the ablest jurists
of this country, in which he says
that, taking the sixth and Twelfth
articles together, there can be no
question but that the United States
Government surrenders the entire
right of fishing in the Chesapeake
Bay up to the PatapscO River, and
then along the entire Atlantic coast
within miles Of that coast. l
would rather have the judgment of
that gentleman than the judgment
of the Senator from Maryland, be-
cause he is a jurist of prominence
and acknowledged eminence, who
has given this question his thought,
who has studied 1t, who has looked
at every line and sentence of the
treaty. He comes not as repre-
sentative of any party, but il he
can be considered as a repTeseR.
tative of any party ! eau only
reply that he is DemOcrat-an
American Democrat.
Such is the opinion of Judge
Levi Woodbury., OF Massachusetts,
and desire here, because do not
want to make my remarks any
longer than necessary, to put his
opinion on record as part of the
remarks which | have to make
Leaving of a part of it, | shall
quote only that which refers
to the Chesapeake Bay and the
Atlantic coast.
/ quote first from the Senator
from Maryland Mr. Wilson |, who
said
Who would not feel outraged II our
/ Government could and should grant the
rights of fishery in the Chesapeake Bay,
for instance, TO the people of Canada.
whereby their fishermen should be In
duced to swarm down into our waters and
give US a taste Of the bitter experiences
which those people have had for CEN
tury 10 endure And have not the least
doubt if bay jnst like the Bay Of
/ Chaleurs deeply penetrated the territory
/ of New England, 80 az virtually to he
come a part thereof, with its shores dotted
with cities and towns, and with a great
local commerce from shore 10 shore, and
! Great Britain should claim the right to
hsh in its waters mp to line within miles
of its coasts, or otherwise 10 interfere
with tb6ir dominion over it, the old Bay
State would he the FIRST. with holy horror
and martial fervoT, 10 summon her sister
States TO the rescue, and doubtless hun
dreds Of thousands Of men won Id spring
TO the front to rescue her from the vorac-
ity Of the British lion.
Judge Woodbury. saws:
4 think there can be no reasonable doubt
that Article XII will Justify a British
claim to participate in all our coast bay
sound, and river fisheries, and will pre-
clude Congress OF the States from passi z