The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-08-29
Senator Edmunds on the Proc
lamatiOn.

senate on friday over the president S
remarkable proclamation on the fishery
question. Senators Hoar and Ed
munds outlined the policy of the re-
pubicans Senator Edmunds referred
to the fact of the passage of the act of
1887 for the defence of American fish
ermen, and to the further fact that
eighteen months have gone by and no
step of any kind has been taken to
carry into effect the plain provisions of
that law. If, he said, nothing has hap
| pened, if there has been no instance
of injustice, of denial of American
rights, of unjust treatment of Ameri-
can citizens in the provinces of the
Dominion, then of course the presi-
dent has been entirely right in taking
no step in respect of the matter. If,
however, as he now says, there have
been instances of denial of just rights
to American citizens engaged in the
fisheries, why is it that the president
has not taken any step in the exercise
of the powers which the law i'm
posed upon him, and in the exer-
else of the high duty which the Consti-
tuition imposes upon him, of taking
care that the laws are faithfully ex-
ecuted? The president cites specific
cases of grievous injustice to American
seamen, and Mr.. Edmunds wants to
know why, with the whole power of
the law in his hands, he has been silent
for eighteen months? And why has he
been inactive? Doubtless, the senator
ironically observes, with the most patri-
otto motives-that it might be best to
submit to what is now declared to be
grievous wrong-with the means of re-
dress or defense at hand-and to enter
into a discussion with the wrong-doer
to provide for new arrangement on a
broader basis of British territoriality
and British free-trade.
The senator expresses his astonish-
ment at the presidents course, and his
surprise and regret that, with the means
of redress in his hands, he has failed to
take any step and now sends a message
to congress asking that additional
J powers. on a broader field of retalia-
ton and covering other topics, be given
to him. Senator Edmunds then con-
tinues:
Mr.. President. it is very odd, this bust
ness. | wish to call attention to one Incl
dent in this message which struck me with
good deal of surprise. We apparently do
not know what was the course on the
panntiatiOOG which led IN this We
apparently do not know what substipula-
tions and engagements and understandings
and protocols and gossips and declarations
existed. Here we find in this message "a
= thing to which wish to call special atten-
tom discussion as to whether the twenty
ninth article of the treaty of 1871 is in force
= or not. The Canadian government has not
refused to tranship fish on the ground that
that article was not in force. 1t has made
no such pretension. 1t has refused to tran
ship fish on the ground that that article did
l not override the convention of 1918 by which
= an American fishing vessel was not to come
, within three miles of the land. Now
it will be seen that one of the very things
about which the president is now for the
first time apparently solicitous was brought
to the attention of the two houses of con-
2 gress pending the passage of the law of 1887
and that the senate was of opinion that the
provisions contained in that law, as it was
= proposed and as it finally passed, were en-
tirely adequate to the protection of Ameri-
can rights and interests in the respects in
which they had been intruded upon and
assaied. The message of the President
contains reference to some topics of dis
content which he has for the first time com
municated to congress, although they are
very old ones and although the attention of
congress was called to them in reports of
: committees a very long time ago, touching
canals, etc. This act of 1882 does not touch
those topics at all, because the basis on
+ which the president is to exert the powers
a given him in that act refers to the treatment
of American vessels in Canadian ports and
not to the treatment of Americans in the
Welland or other canals. What that act
referred to was really the fishery question.
= When the Canadian authorities denied to
q American fishermen the right to transhp
their fish from Halifax to Boston or New
= York, the president was justified in deny
I ing and it was his duty to deny to Cana
dian fish transportation across our country
: or any other Canadian goods, just as far
@ and as fast as he should deem it adequate
redress for the wrong committed on us. II
= was within the competency and was the
= duty of the president to inform the British
. government that regarded that twenty
Y ninth article of the treaty as no longer in
. force because ii could not be in force on
y the one side and not on the other at the
Y same time, and it is that which previous
= presidents and secretaries OF state have
done, to the honor and benefit of the Amer
!, lean name and American interests. AS we
y wrong which the president mentions as OF
crying and great Importance, the denial by
20 the Canadian authorities, persisted in, aS
~ the president says, from 1886 until now, and
DO still continued, of the right of American
90 fishermen to transhp their fish from Hall
40 fax to Boston or New York, while Canadian
w fishing vessels or any other British vessels
n coming into any of our ports are by force
-, of this article and our friendly laws au'
II thorized to tranship their fish to Canada
e or from Canada to New York for exporta
!, ton without the payment of duties. That
Il is the fact, and the president tells us that il
), has existed now for two years. Following
IL that act, which the president says is gross
10 outrage, is the statute of the United States
IS which says that if he is satisfied that such
fact exists he shall apply the means of re
dress which the statute has put in his hands
1t Why does he not do it? | should be glaC
e to have somebody tell me. | should hav,
- been glad, intellectually, if the presiden
/, had said in this message what the reasons
, are, what the impediments are, to his en-
- deavoring to execute faithfully the statut,
In of the United States ON state of circum