Wichita eagle., 1888-05-11
jority critisize the president for withhold
ing information upon the question from
the senate and summarize its findings and

doubts as fOllOWS:
Firs-The United States recognize as
British territory and renounce forever all
tclaim of independent right in all the great
bays along the British North American
coasts named in the treaty, and admit that
all such bays form part of and are with
in British sovereignty and jurisdiction,
Second-Of the few such great bays that
are left to be visited by American fisher
men, the larger part are understood TO be
valueless and some of them are subject to
| French fishery rights, older than our own
if they are British bays.
| Third-f bay fishing is not profitable
now it may be in the future.
Fourth-Whether profitable or not, the
United States ought not to give up upon
any consideration, whatever, the right OF
its vessels Of every character to visit and
carry on business in any part Of the public
seas.
Fifth-The treaty surrenders the claim
and right of the United States which has
been acted upon and exercised for now
more than century, of its vessels engaged
IN fishing or other occupations to visit and
carry on their business in these great bays,
and the principle of which claim and right
has once been solemnly decided against
Great Britain by. a tribunal organized
under treaty with that government.
SIXth-'The new area of dellmltatlon de
scribed III the treaty greatly increases the
danger OF our fishermen unintentionally
invading prohibited waters, and thereby
exposing them to seizures and penalties.
Seventh-The treaty, by its fifth article,
renounQes any right OF the United States
to any bay etc, however large that cannot
be reached from the sea without passing
within the three marine miles mentioned
IN article of the convention OF October
20, 1878, thus excluding vessels of the
United States from ALI waters, however
extensive, and the distance between whose
headlands is however great the sailing
channel to which may happen to be within
3 miles of the shore
Eighth-The treaty is complete sur
render of any claim of a right now exist
ing, either under the treaty of 17S2. The
treaty of 1918, the acts of congress, and the
British orders in council of 1886, or the
twenty-ninth article ofsthe treaty of 1871,
for vessels of the United States engaged
in fishing anywhere on the high seas and
even having a commercial character; also,
to enter any port of British North America
for any commercial purpose whatever, and
puts in the place of these clear rights
which, in respect to British fishing vessels
exist in the United States to the fullest
extent. Greatly restricted and conditional
rights as arising solely for present grant
of Great Britain.
Nineth-It binds the United States to
be content with whatever is given by this
treaty as the full measure of its rights.
and to be content with it forever or until
greater hospitality and freedom of inter
course can be obtained by further con-
cesSionS.
This majority go on enumerating various
other reasons adverse to the wisdom of
ratifying the treaty, among them one ex-
pressing the opinion that it's ratification
will only increase the sources of irritation.
The report concludes with the hose that
her maiesty's grant will secure justice to
fl Shern,an and that tho fyien6-
ship which ought to exist between neigh
boring nations may be established
The minority saw: In accepting the paper
sent to the senate by the president as a
treaty, and by referring the same TO its
committee, the senate have virtually waiy
ed any informality, if there is any, in the
negotiation and signing of the instrument,
and the undersigned conceive that the
whole duty of the committee was to con-
slider and report upon the merits OF the
treaty The undersigned believe that it is
better for our country that the treaty
should be ratified, and they are equally
convinced that the entire class of our peo-
pie who are actively engaged in our North
Atlantic fishing industry will be benefited
by its ratification. 1t is quite clear that |
until we are free of the obligations of the |
treaty of 1878, they are a part of our |
supreme law, which no department |
OF our own government can yio |
SO we must live under the treaty and be |
constantly established with the British |
government as to It's proper Interpretation; |
or we must reform that Interpretation by |
fair and just agreement with that gov |
ernment, or we must repeal or abandon it, !
and then rely upon retaliation to redress |
our wrongs. The undersigned believe that I
the Interpretation of that treaty which has |
led to its reformation in the treaty now be- |
fore the senate is far in advance of any
thing that any American diplomat has |
officially demanded of the British govern
ment and will lead to full and amicahle |
adjustment of all troubles of the |
and that it will open the way to liberal
and neighborly adjustment of such differ
ences, both on the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts. The minority declare that the
protocol to the treaty is an honorable and
friendly overture of the British govern
ment, ,,and it should be allowed to develop
by actual experience whether the treaty
will be beneficial to our fisheries and COM
merce 1t holds that the headland theory
as applicable to the harbors, bays and
creeks that are termed as territorial waters
has not been abandoned by the British
government except in this treaty
and that it was a vital
question when this negotiation
was entered upon. The minority con-
clude: By the delimitation fixed in this
treaty we yield nothing that is of any
value to our fishermen. What we yield is
OF value to the British provinces as
means of conducting their local govern
ments The treaty is a just and fair set
Element. There is no fault to find in the
manner of its negotiations and the presi
tent has not, sn any way, concluded his
powers or withheld any
courtesy due TO the senate in respects of
the agents selected by him to conduct the
negotiations, or in the time or place of ne
gotiating or concluding the treaty.