Evening journal., 1888-07-28
SALISBURY ON FISH.
He Actually Defends Secretary of
state RnyRrd.


Senator Salisbury yesterday spoke on
the Fisheries treaty In open executive saa-
sion OF the Senate. The treaty. he argued,
while securing to the United States valu
able rights and privileges hitherto denied
and which no previous administration had
been able TO secure. gave up no undisp u ted
right nor any privilege that could be justly
regarded as OF the slightest value. The
objections to the treaty were too insign ia
cantto be interposed to prevent the sc tile
ment Of long standing controversy, and
the suggestion that under 1t that contro-
versy might be continued and aggravated
was so absurd that 1t was surprising th at
any Senator would venture to make .Buch
an assertion.
As to the headland theory which Repub-
lican Senators had represented 10 have been
leng since abandoned by Great Britain, Mr..
Salisbury showed, by quotations from
American, English and Canadian public
men, that II had never been abandoned aud
never conld be abandoned. He would not
say that that claim on the part of England
was correct, but only that che had steadily
insisted upon Il, and that the assertion that
she had Withdrawn from 1t was contradisted
by the repeated declarations OF her public
men. For nearly seventy years England
had denied the right on the part of Ameri-
can fishermen to enter the bays and other
waters over which her Jurisdiction sx-
aended, except under treaties.
The pending treaty settled that contro-
vsrsy and would az rntlned) prevent the
possibilitylof disagreement between the'two
aountries hereafter on that subject. Was
IL not, he asked, a matter Of great impor-
tance 10 settle disputes OF long standing
which had thrsatsned to disturb nmicable
relations, And, which lrsmaining unsettled)
might put 10 peril not only ths commerce,
bat the peace OF both oountriest He de-
clarsd that the president could have made
no settlement of the question that would
have met the approval Of a majority Of
Republican Senators. They would have
agreed to no settlement that would have
deprived thsm of ths opportunity OF ap-
pealing 10 the prsjndices Of a class OF voters
sRaiust England. IL was votes they wanted,
not a settlement Of the con ntroversy. To
what base uses had the Senate come at last
-abdIcaLinR its high functions as part OF
t-o NA"1NJ 7AAoAiub poWetf hhA ANtaatuh
and degrading its executive power to q
political masbinef
he defended the Secretary OF State
against the assaults made upon him by Re
publican Senators, and declared that nC
man who has occupied that position hai
labored more honestly than be to promot'
the interests and maintain the honor OF thi
country in its relations with foreign coun
, tries, and that but few OF his predecessor
had manifested an equal fidelity and ability
IN the discharge Of their duties.
II might be. Mr.. Salisbury said, that MI
Bayards success In securing an honorabl
adjustment of a loug-standiug controvers
; which his Republican predecessors had bee
unable to secure had, In part at least, Il
? spired such assaults upon mis- character an
upon the treaty which he had negotiated
: At the close OF MIR. 5aulsbury 3 speec
z the fisheries treaty went over withou
4 action, and tbs Senate proceeded to th
Q consideration Of the Bundry Civil ApprI
d priation bill.