Morning journal and courier., 1888-05-30
Fiftieth Congress--First Session.

SoNAAA1.-4 ouE VETO messages were EeceAFol
from the PRESIDENT, one disappearing OF &
bill appropriating $4,000 for public build.
ing at Youngstown, Ohio, and three disap
proving of pension bills.
Mr.. Henderson, from the committee or
military affairs, reported the bill to revive
the grade of general of the United States
army. He said its purpose was to revive
during the lifetime of the present lieutenant
general of the army the grade of general oil
the army. Both those grades were to cease
with the life of Lieutenant=G General Sheridan
He asked unanimous consent to have the bill
now considered.
Mr.. Berry objected and the bill was placed
on the calendar.
Mr.. Sherman moved that the Senate dc
now proceed to the consideration of the
fishery treaty in open executive session.
Mr.. Frye then proceeded to address the Senate
The question before the Senate, he said, was
not triding one; it involved the dignity and
honor of the great republic and the rights OF
citizens. It could not be relieved by talk OF
localization, by charging that it concerned
only New England industry of but little
account; that Yankee fishermen alone were
interested; that the wrongs to be righted
were only up in the Northeast. It could not
be obscured by the President of the United
States intimation that in the event of the
failure of the treaty he would resort to the
law which Congress had passed in such way
as should put in jeopardy and might destroy
all the business interests of the great North.
It could not be belittled by interview s furn-
ished to the Boston Herald nor by letters
written to the banquetting party in New
York in which it was declared that every
man who opposed the ratification of the
treaty was either controlled by personal pre-
judice, by pArtizanship or by profound ig-
norance, or by administration papers
fippantly and ieeringly suggesting that
it would be better to buy up the Yankee fish
ermen and their feet. The question before
the Senate was should citizens of the United
States Fishermen but still citizens) be pro-
tected against injustice and wrong and out-
rage inflicted by neighboring nation en-
boIdened to it only because it rested under
the @gis of mighty power beyond the sea.
He proceeded to pay glow tribute to the
valor and patriotic services of Yankee fish
ermen" in the wars of the revolution, of 1912
and of the rebellion, and asked whether such
men were entitled to be treated with con-
tempt. He declared that this powerful
republic had utterly neglected the rights OF
the fishermen. When the war for independence
was over we met to frame treaty of peace,
and there were men in the land who loved
their country and who secured in that treaty
of peace provision for the rights of the re-
public. Nay more, Great Britain has accorded
US the rights of fishing on the Grand banks
and other banks over which she had no more
control than over the mid ocean. She never
surrendered anything that was her own since
our victorious war of 1912. The United
States had grown in power and Importance
and had grown immensely as to her markets
Great Britain and Canada looked at those
markets with svaricious eyes and determined
to possess them. There was no hesitation
no question of rights or decency or hospital
ity. Great Britain said, your markets we
propose to have. What fort So that the
Canadian fishermen might be quadrupled SO
that when she needed sailors she would
know where to go and find the brav-
and SO Canada commenced by every cons
ceivable outrage, wrong and injustice to
drive our vessels away. She drove them to
sea in storms, she seized them on the high
seas and searched them. She put armed
men on board and literally confined their
captains and crews in their own vessels with
the American Gag flying over them. They
confscated one after another until the perils
of the sea were not half as many as the ter
rors of the law on shore. Under the treaty
of 1854, known as the reciprocity treaty, we
were permitted to fish within their waters
and they within our waters, and they were
permitted free entity to our markets for their
fish and they thus had all they wanted. Mr..
Frye traced the increase of the Canadian
fishing feet and the gradual decrease of our
own fishing trade down to nothing as the re-
suit of the right of entry of the Cana
dian fish free of duty, and alluded
to the success of doubling the license tax up
on American vessels as further means Of
crippling our commerce. He declared that
the modus vivendi only secured to US upon
the payment of dollar and half per ton
commercial privileges which we were already
fully entitled to. He said that the Canadians
continued their outrages in season and out of
season and that the Congress of the United
States was just on the point of passing re-
taliatory law in response to petition from
the fishermen of New England when diplo
macy was again resorted to, resulting in the
treaty of 1871. We had just emerged from a
terrible conflict during which Great Britain
clearly desired that this country should be
cut in two in the middle. She wanted the
southern market and she had not the slight
est hesitation in regard to the right. She
recognized belligerent rights on the part of
the South and Joined with France
in the attempt to. build mp
a monarchy in Mexico and sent
troops of war to Canada. She built vessels,
armed and equipped them and sent them out
When the war was over our people who had
been damaged by her cruisers sent in their
claims and Great Britain refused to pay
them. Then our peace-loving President,
Grant, sent q message to his people saying to
them, send me your bills and 1 will collect
them in time, and then negotiations for
treaty were had. The Alabama claims were
put into the treaty and other matters were
included and the treaty was made. 1t stipu-
lated that if there was any balance due Cam
ada for the privilege she had given us of the
right to fish we should pay it and that its
commissioners should be appointed TO see if
anything was due. We also gave them free
market for the fish.
The commission was appointed and we had
for iaRi0nRr a WAX old no
more fit to cope with Sir John Macdonald or
Sir Charles Upper than Mr.. Bayard is to
cope with Sir Joseph Chamberlain in diplo-
macy. The umpire was Mr.. Delfosse of Bel
gium-practically owned by Great Britain,
and Great Britain knew it when he was
appointed. The commission investigated the
matter and found we must pay Great Britain
and Canada So, 500, 900. We paid it, but af-
ter paying and within very short time we
asked Great Britain to allow us to abrogate
that treaty. Great Britain refused, though
we had paid for the whole twelve years. She
still had such good bargain that she would
not give it up. During fhe twelve years We
RENTED in duties to Canada over So ,000, 600,
making S11 SOC, 900 that we paid for that
attempt at diplomacy. During the whole
twelve years we captured In British waters
about $500, 900 worth of fish and the capture
cost 81, 200,0 900. During the last three years
of the treaty there were not q dozen Ameri-
fortunately rolled along and the day came
when notice could be given to
terminate the treaty, SO far as
the fisheries were concerned. He (Frye)
had the honor of introducing the resolution
requesting the President to give the requisite
two years. notice. 1t passed the Senate
unanimously The President gave notice
that in 1886 we had no treaty except the
treaty of 1850. Now if we had taken manly
course, If this great republic with its re-
sources and its sixty million people had SIM
ply stood on its rights this thing would have
ended. There would have been peace and we
would have had the rights we were entitled to.
Among the incidents of the maltreatment
of American vessels which he mentioned was
the case of the Dolly Adams, which when
loaded with fish fell in with a British
schooner wrecked, rescued her seventeen
men, took them aboard sailed for Canadian
port, was detained several days on account
of bar which she could not cross, and when
ready to sail had not pound of -four on
board. Then when her captain (Jacobs) put
into port and asked permission to purchase