Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-05-11

WASHINGTON, May 1.-The Senate, in
executive session yesterday afternoon, dis
cussed for two hours the propriety of con-
sidering the fisheries treaty in open session,
or of admitting an official reporter with u
view to having the discussion reported and
subsequently made public in whole or
part Several resolutions were pending
one by Mr.. Riddleberger, providing for
open discussion; one by Mr.. Hoar, pro~d-
ing for stenographer's report, for >subse-
quent publication, and one by Mr.. Morgan,
for report for the confidential Use of the
Senate only. The Hoar resolution, slightly
amended by Mr.. Teller, was finally adopt
ed, and it is probable that the debate viii
be published from day to day
in the Record. The question oil
giving publicity to the reports
OF the Foreign Relations Committee adverse
to and in support of the treaty was then
discussed and the injunction of secrecy
was removed from both. The majority re-
port after an extended review of the objec-
tons, urged and criticisms of the method
of negotiations summarizes the objections
TO the treaty as follows:
First-The United States recognize as
British territory and renounce forever all
claim of independent right in all the great
po1 oiOhS tuc 4NOTlH hIntTlCdl
coasts named in the treaty, and admit that
all such bays form part of and are within
British territorial sovereignty ard juris-
diction.
Second-0f the few of such great bays
that are lett to be visited by American
fishermen, the larger part are understood
to be valueless, and some of them are sub
ject to French fishery rights older than our
own. il they are British bays.
Third-If bay fishing is not profitable
now il 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 L. s., which has been &C.
ted upon and exercised for now more than
a 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 solemly decided against Great
Britain by a tribunal organized under q
treaty by the Government.
SiIth-The new area of delimination de-
scribed in the treaty greatly increases the
danger of our fishermen unintentionally in
posing them to seizure and penalties.
Seventh. The treaty, by its fifth article,
renounces any right in the United States
in any bay, ETC., however large that "can
not be reached from the sea without Iass-
ing within the three marine miles men,
toned in article of the convention of 0c-
tober 20 ISIS" thus excluding vessels of
the United States from all waters, however
extensive, and the distance between whose
headlands is however great, the sailing
channel TO which which may happen TO be
within three miles of the shore.
Eighth-The treaty is a complete sur
render of any claim of right now existing
either under the treaty of 1883, the treaty
of 1918, the acts of Congress and the British
orders in council of 1880, or the twenty
ninth article of the treaty of 1871, for ves-
sells of the United States engaged in fishing
anywhere on the high seas and even hav-
ing commercial character also, 10 enter
any part OF British North America for any
commercial purpose whatever, and puts in
the place of these clear rights, which, in
respect OF British fishing vessels, exist in
the United States to the fullest extent.
greatly restricted and conditional rights as
arising solely from present grant Of Great
Britain.
Ninth-It binds the United States to be
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 or considerations on our part
Tenth-In the face of all this, il leaves
British North American fishing vessels
possessed of all commercial rights in all
the ports and waters OF the United States.
Observation-Disclosures privileges of COM
merce, hospitality. or humanity are thus
provided for in the treaty, are to be OBJ
tanned only upon condition that no fishing
vessel of the United States shall receive
any of them, unless such fishing vessels
shall under regulations of the Secretary of
the Treasury of the United States, be
branded with an official number on each
bow, and that such regulations shall, be-
fore they become effeetual, be communi-
Gated to Her Majesty's Government
Twelfth-It provides that general, and
even then, much limited. commercial
rights and rights of transhipment. as men,
toned in article Is. shall be obtained only
at the price OF exempting all Canadian
fishery products from our custom duties.
Thirteenth-1ts provisions concerning
the Executive and Judicial treatment of
American vessels and fsermen that may
be seized or arrested for supposed illegal
nothing other and probably sometimes less
than a statement OF what the laws and con-
duct of any administration of every govern
ment protesting TO be civilized should adopt
and exercise As an act of duty and justice.
Fourteenth = Instead of diminishing
sources of irritation and causes of difficulty.
different interpretations and disputes, it
will. the committee thinks, very largely
increase them.
Various other suggestions adverse TO the
wisdom of ratifying this treaty might easily
be made, but the committee does not
think it necessary TO 60 into them.
The majority report concludes as fol-
lows: The committee cannot but hope,
that if these ill advised negotiations, which,
as is known TO all the world. cannot prop
erly commit the United states in any de-
gree until they shall have received the con-
stitutional assent of the Senate, shall fail
to meet the approval of this body, Her
Majestys Government will take measures
to secure Justice and fair treatment in
her North American dominions to
American vessels and American citizens, in
all respects and under all circumstances. and
that. that Government will see the justice
and propriety of according 10 American
vessels engaged in the business of fishing
all the commercial rights and facilities in
0eT NOTtn PoiNo ~
freely and cheerfully accorded to her own
in the ports of the United States a I'd that
thus the friendship TO good feeling which
ought to exist between neighbo-ing nations
NAV be finally established and secured"
The majority resents the Presidents ac-
ton in declining to submit all the cores
pondence, incidental to negotiation of the
treaty. The assumption that a portion of
such correspondence could be entrusted
exclusively to the discretion and control OF
the executive and properly withheld from
the Senate, is believed TO be contrary TO
the essential nature of the constitutional
relations between the President and the
Senate and in violation of the continuous
practi,e from the foundation of the Gov
ernment. The report of the minority opens
with statement that the objections OF the
majority are based upon the claims:
First, that the treaty was negotiated BY
persons not duly empowered to conclude
treaty. and second, that on its merits the
treaty is not eIpedient and should not be