The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-01
THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON.
How Sir John Macdonald Worked
Against Us.

Ee Finally Caused England to Heed His
Protest, and Then Had a Streak of Luck
in the Great Award for Fisheries.
The memoirs of Sir John Macdonald,
Just published in Canada by his private
secretary, Joseph Pope, make some in
teresting political revelations. Pope was
intrusted by Sir John Macdonald with
all his private papers and correspon-
dence, among them series of letters to
either Cabinet colleagues or friends re-
garding the share Sir John had in the
negotiation of the treaty of Washington
between Britain and the States in 1871.
The papers furnish some news with
moral.
1t will be rememb ered that the treaty
was undertaken to settle three leading
matters between Britain and the States.
Two of these were of imperial import
ance-namely, the Alabama claims, and
the ownership of San Juan Islands, on
the Pacific coast. The other was chiefly
of Canadian SUPPLEMENTARY. the set
Element of conditions under which the
United States could enter the lnshore
fisheries of Canada. Under the reclproc-
ity treaty of 1896. New England fisher
men had had free access to the Canadian
fisheries. After the abrogation OF that
treaty by the United States their fisher
men continued doing pretty much as
they pleased, owning to Canada's nope
of new relations. But as no new reel
nrocity could be obtained, Canada, by
1870. had become FESTIVE. and ordered
the Yankees off the fishing grounds.
Great Britain appointed five commits
sioners, led by Lord de Grey. one of the
five being, for the first time in inter-
national relations at Canadian, Sir John
Macdonald. The inside story of the treaty
shows that the Canadian fought stub
born battle with his four brother British
commissioners in order to make better
bargain for himself.
The United States wanted a fair en-
tree to the Northern Atlantic and gulf
fisheries, and made clear resolve not to
settle the Alabama and San Juan issues
without that. Canada wanted to OBJ
tain trade concessions from the States in
return for her fisheries, and if she could
not get satisfactory trade concessions
namely, free admission to the States of
coal. salt, lumber and fish, and free
coasting) she claimed that she did not
want anything; she was satisfied to re-
tain her fisheries and stand cut. The
British. Commissioners, fearing the
United States would make good their
insimation that they would not make
treaty without clearing ups the fishery
ISSUE. made strenuous efforts to force
Macdonald to giveswag and accept what
the other British representatives, equal
" with the Americans, looked on as
fair compensation.
The missioners met insMarch, 1871,
and Sir John speedily showed his hand.
He writes home on March II:
"Having nearly made up my mind that
the Americans want everything and will
give us nothing in exchange. one OF my
chief aims now is to convince the Brit
ish Commissioners of the unreasonable
ness of the Yankees. This they are be
ginning to find out, and are good deal
disappointed"
Again he writes on March 80:
"In our separate caucuses my col
leagues are continually pressing me to
yield. l am obliged to stand out, and,
[ am afraid, to make myself extremely
disagreeable to lhem."
The Americans offered free coal and
salt, and certain free fish. Sir John said
no. The British Commissioners pressed
him to yield. Sir John replied in effect:
"The fisheries are ours. We have right
to put price on them. If the Ameri-
cams don't like the price they needn't
bpy,a The arguments TWAS hardly fair.
as the rights OF the. fisheries were not at
Ill clear, and Lord de Grey kept at him,
frightened that the block would prevent
a-treaty on the Alabama matter. On
April Sir John writes again:
M ust say that'I am greatly disap-
pointed at the course taken by the Brit
fsh Commissioners. They seem to have
only one thing on their minds, that is,
to go home to England with treaty in
their pockets, settling everything, no
Relations between Sir John and his
British colleagues grew so strained that
on April 16 Sir John writes
+The discussion took an unpleasant
turn, and Lord de Grey commenced to
lecture me on my duty as a Comn1oner,
and was obliged to tell him very snort
ly that believed that / knew what my
duty was and that would endeavor to
perform it,"
Lord de Grey, n evertheless, maintained
the pressure, with the result that event.
ually Sir John wished to resign. He
must have felt deeply the gravity of his
position. A failure to negotiate a treaty
on the Alabama claims might mean war
between Britain and the United States.
This was a terrible responsibility for
FOR 20 YEARS
the formula for making SCOTS
EnyI1cfn1 hoe hoa,> o~Jo..1