The Portland daily press., 1888-05-11
DANGERS Threatened BY THE TREATY
In Its Provisions and Methods Of Ne
goti alton.
The Senate Reports on the Labors Of
the Negotlators.
A Cry of War Received by the Minor
ity Members.

WASHINGTON, May 10.-The Senate has
removed the injunction of secrecy from the
report of the committee on foreign relations
upon the fisheries treaty. The majority re-
port reviews the history of the fishery ques-
tion from colonial times to the passage Of
the act Of March 3, 1887. authorizing the
President, in certain cases, to protect and
defend the rights Of American fishing yes
sells, etc. This act is quoted in full and the
reportc ontinues: $50 far as known to your
committee. no st9p whatever was taken by
the President to put the law into execution.
But negotiations were Initiated and con-
tinued to the apparent end of accomplishing
what Congress thought unfit to undertake in
such way and to the adjustment OF these
difficulties by diplomatic course. securing
part of American rights at the expense OF
yielding other, and the most fundamental
and important of them"
The report complains that the President
gave no intimation to Congress OF the meet
ing of the plenipotentiaries and says tits not
difficult to see that, in evil times, when the
President may be under the influence OF
foreign and adverse interest, such course
might result in great disaster to the in
terest, and safety of our government and
people The peoples rights might be so
neglected, misunderstood, abandoned or sold
by the Presidents plenip0tentiarleS as great
ly to emberrass, if not defeat, their ultimate
reassertion in better times, under better
administration. The majority report further
objects to the treaty in that, by 1t, the Uni
ted States renounces all right in the great
and valuable bays on the coast named in the
treaty, in which fishing may become proht,
able in the future, that the rlgnt OF United
States vessels to visit and trade In any. port
OF the public seas ought not be surrendered
on any consideration, that the new area OF
delimitation greatly increases the danger OIL
American fishermen unintentioDally IN
vading prohibited waters, that it completely
surrenders the right existing under the treat
les and acts of 1888, 1878, 1880 and 1871, that
it binds the United States to be content with
its provisions forever, until greater freedom
can be gained by further concessions by the
United States, and further. that the much
limited rights obtained by article 10 are OBJ
tanned only at the price Of exempting all
Canadian fishery products from our customs
duties, that the treatment accorded to ar
rested vessels and fishermen is only such as
any civilized nation should adopt any way,
and that, instead of diminishing, it will
increase friction.
The report concludes with the hope that if
the Senate rejects the treaty the British gov
ernment will provide that American vessels
get the same rights in Canadian waters as
Canadian vessels get in United States waters.
The minority report expresses the belief
that the treaty would benefit our fisher
men, and urges the necessity of al
laying bitter feeling and cultiyatlng
friendly relations with Canada. The
minority say that the only alter
native is retaliation, which would result in
war, that the 1918 treaty is the supreme law
until superseded; that the treaty is perpet-
ual in renunciation Of our right to common
fishery, that we cannot, save by
successful war, reinstate the United States
by our own act in the enjoyment Of the right
renounced; that the treaty is framed in
spirit of conformity to the progressive inter-
est of our country; that the further increase
of commercial privileges naturally follows
from the policies of both Countries that the
matters governed by the delineation are dis
puted rights that the American statesmen
have heretofore acknowledged the sincerity
of the British construction Of the 1918 treaty;
that nothing of any value Is surrendered;
that what we yield is of value to the Provin-
ces in constructing local governments, and
that the treaty is just and fair settlement
with which no fault can be found in the
manner of negotiation. and that the Presi-
dent has not exceeded his constitutional
powers or withheld any courtesy due the
Senate.