Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-03-01

arrive at such an agreement between the
| governments of Great Britain and the United
| States as would secure to the citizens of the
respective countries the unmolested enjoyment
OF their just rights under existing treaties and
| international comfy the territorial waters oil
| Canada and of Newfoundland. availed myself
| OF opportune occurrences indicative of desire
| to make without delay an amicable and final
| settlement of a long-standing controversy-pro
| ductive of much irritation and misunderstand-
| ing between the two nations-to send through
our minister in London proposals that q
| conference should take place the
| subject at this capital. The experience of the
past two years had demonstrated the dilatory
| and unsatisfactory consequences of our indi-
rect transaction of business through the foreign
office in London, in which the views and wishes
| of the Government of the Dominion of Canada
were practically predominant, but were only to
| find expression at second hand. To obviate
this Inconvenience and obstruction to prompt
| and well-defined settlement, it was considered
| advisable that the negotiations should be con-
| Quoted in this city, and that the interests OF
| Canada and Newfoundland should be directly
| represented therein. The terms of con-
| ference having been duly agreed on
| between the two governments and the
| conference arranged to be held here. by
virtue of the power in me vested in the Consti-
| tution,I duly authorized Thomas F. Bayard, the
| Secretary of State of the United States; VIM.
Putnam. citizen of the State of Maine and
James B. Angell citizen of the State of Mich
| igan. for and in the name of the United States.
| to meet and confer with the plenipotentiares
| representing the government of Her Britannia
Majesty, for the purpose of considering and
| adjusting in friendly spirit all or any
questions relating to rights of fishery in the
seas adjacent to British North America and
Newfoundland, which are in dispute between
the governments of the United States and that
of Her Britannia Majesty, and jointly and sew
orally to conclude and sign any treaty or
treaties touching the premises; and herewith
transmit for youc information full copies of the
power so given by me.
In execution of the powers conveyed the
said Thomas F. Bayard, VIM. L. Putnam and
Jas. B. Angell in the month of November last,
| met in this city the plenipotentaries Of Her
Battannic Majesty, and proceeded in the ne
gotiation Of a treaty as above authorized.
After many conferences and protracted efforts
an agreement has at length been arrived at,
which is embodied in the treaty which now
| lay before you. The treaty meets my approval
because believe that 1t supplies satisfactory.
practical and final adjustment upon a basis
honorable and just to both parties of the diff
cult and vexed question to which it relates.
A review of the history of this question will
show that all former attempts to arrive at an
Interpretation satisfactory to both parties of
the first article of the treaty of October, 1915
| have been unsuccessful, and with the lapse of
time the difficulty and obscurity have only in
creased. The negotiations in 1854 and again in
1871, ended in both cases in temporary recIpro-
cal arrangements of the tariffs of Canada and
Newfoundland and of the United States. and of
payment of money reward by the United
States under which the real questions in diff
ference remained unsettled in allegiance. and
ready to present themselves anew just as soon
as the conventional arrangements were alb
rogated.
The situation. therefore, remained unpro-
vlded by the results of the treaty of 1871 and a
grave condition of affairs, presenting almost
identically the same features and causes of
complaint by the United States against Ca
madam action and British default in its correc-
ton, confronted us in May, 1886, and has con-
tinued until the present time,
The greater part of the correspondence which
has taken place between the two governments
has heretofore been communicated to Con-
gress and at Us early day possible I shall
transmit the remaining portion to this date,
accompanying it with the joint protocols of the
conferences which resulted in the conclusion of
| the treaty now submitted to you. You will thus
be fully possessed of the record and history of
the case since the termination, on June 80. 1885,
OF the fishery articles of the treaty of Washing
ton of 1871, whereby we were relegated to the
provisions of the treaty of October 20, 1918.
AS the documents and papers referred to
will supply full Information of the positions
taken under my administration by the repre-
sentatives of the United States well as
those occupied by the representatives of the
government of Great Britain, it is not con-
sidered necessary or expedient to repeat them
in this message; but 1 believe the treaty will
be found to contain a just honorable and
therefore satisfactory solution of the difficulties
which have clouded our relations with our
neighbors on our northern borders. Especially
satisfactory do believe the proposed arrange
ment will be found by those of our citizens
who are engaged in the open sea fisheries ad-
jacent to the Canadian coast and resorting to
those ports and harbors under treaty provisions
and rules of international law. The proposed
delimitatiOn of the lines the exclusive fish
cries from the common fisheries will give GER
tainty and security to the of their 1egit-
innate field; the headland, the mode of mag
mary lines, is abandoned by Great Britain, and
the specification in the treaty of certain named
bays especially provided for gives satisfaction
to inhabitants of these shores, without sub
tracing materially from the value
venience Of the fishery rights of Americans.
The uninterrupted navigation of the Strait of
Canso is expressly, and for the first time,
affirmed, and the four purposes for which
our fishermen, under the treaty of 1918, were
allowed to enter the bays and harbors of Cana
da and Newfoundland within the belt of three
marine miles, are placed under a fair and
liberal construction and their enjoyment Sc
cured without such conditions and restrictions
as in the past have embarrassed and INSTRUCTED
so seriously. The enforcement of penalties
for unlawfully fishing or preparing to fish with
in the in-shore and exclusive waters of Canada
and Newfoundland is to be accomplished under
safeguards against oppressive or arbitrary &C.
ton, thus protecting the defendant fisherman
from punishment in advance of trial, delays
and inconvenience and unnecessary expense.
The history of events in the last two years
shows that no feature of Canadian administra-
ton was more harrassing and injurious than
the compulsion upon our fishing vessels to
make formal entry and clearance every oc-
cason of temporarily seeking shelter in Cana
dian ports and harborS. Such Inconvenience is
provided against in the proposed treaty, and
this most frequent and just cause of complaint
is removed. The articles permitting fish
ermen to obtain provisions and the
ordinary supplies of trading vessels on
their homeward voyages, and under which
they are accorded the further and even
more important privilege all oc-
casions of purchasing such casual or
needful provisions and supplies as are
ordinarily granted to trading vessels, are of
great Importance and value. The licenses
which are to be granted without charge and on
application, in order to enable our fishermen
to enjoy those privileges, are reasonable and
proper checks in the hands of the local au-
thorities to identify the recipients and prevent
abuse, and can form impeachment to those
who intend to use them fairly. The hospitality
secured for our vessels in all cases of actual
distress, with liberty to unload and sell and
tranship their cargoes, is full and liberal
These provisions will secure the substantial
enjoyment Of the treaty rights for our fisher
| men under the treaty of 1873 for which con-
tention has been steadily made in the CORE
spondence of the Department OF State and our
minister at London, and by the American ne
gotiat,rs of the present treaty. The right of
our fishermen under the treaty of 1918 did not
extend to the procurement of distinctive fishery
supplies in Canadian ports and harbors: one
item supposed to be essential, to wit, bait, was
plainly denied them by the explicit and definite
words of the treaty of 1918, emphasized by the