Year: 1878

ment Of the question. Thus onr High Commits
sioners stated 'that il the value of the inshore
fisheries could be ascertaned the United States might
prefer to purchase for sum of money the right to
enjoy In perpetnty the use q those inshore nsneres
Sl,000,000 as the sum they were prepared to oher
The British High Commissioners replied that this
oher was, they thought, wholly inadequate ana
that no arrangement would be acceptable of
which the admission into the United states
British fisheries, did not form part After a con-
sideration Of commercial equivalents, in which the
offers Of our High Commissioners were not accepted
by the British High Commissioners all such propo-
sitions on our part were withdrawn and our Com
missioners renewed their proposal to pay money
further proposed that in case tho two govern
ments should not be able to agree upon
matter .ns nbouS Do Palr to come
mission for determination" To this the British
High Commissioners replied 'that it would not be
possible for them to come TO any arrangement ex-
cept one for term Of years and involving the con-
cession of free fish and fish oil by Commission
ers; but that if free hsh and fish oil conceded
they would inquire OF their government whether
they were prepared TO assent to q reference to
arnltraton as ,ia to money payment @ Our High
that free FISH and fish oil would be than
equivalent for those fisheries but that they
question and the amount OF any money payment that
might be found necessary to complete equivalent
Hereupon. as stated in the protocol. 1.-THE British
Commissioners having referred the last proposal to
their government and received instructions to accept
it, the fishery articles of the treaty were agreed to.


These opinions of Her Majestys government were
entirely in accord with the views of the leading pro-
vincial statesmen: Mr.. Stewart Campbell. of Nova
Scotia, declared that "under the Reciprocity Treaty
the total exemption from duty Of all fish exported
from the maritime provinces to the markets
of the United States was also boon Of
inestimable value to the very large class of
British subjects directly and indirectly connected
with fisheries and its resulting trade" Sir John
.The only market for the Canadian No. mackerel
in the world is the United States That is our only
market and we are practically excluded from it by the
present duty. The consequence Of that duty Is that
our fishermen are at the mercy of the American fish
ermen. They are made the hewers of wood
and the drawers Of water for the Americans.
They are Obliged to sell their fish at the
Americans own price. The American fishermen
purchase their fish a nominal value and control the
handed over to the American fishermen the Amer
can merchants engaged in the trade and they profit
to the loss of our own industry and our own people


FUTURE


1t may be that Her Majesty's governments has sur
Dominion and the people Of the provinces now think
that the possession or market for the products
Of the provincial fisheries Is Of no pecuniary advsn
tage to these provincial interests In such in
any future negotiations respecting the fisheries this
government would expect no stress to be laid upon
this question OF the possession Of own markets.
II Her Majesty's government accepts the award OF
these concurring Commissioners carrying the
sary consequence that the concession OF article 2l
is of value to British provincial interests.
that element Of calculation will disappear from any
possible exchange Of equivalents that the exigences



at their service. privilege that is valueless when
granted to and enjoyed by beneficiary may well be
reserved and withheld without the charge Of its being
ungraclous to do SO. II on the other hand Her
Majestys government sdheres to the views Of the
value of our market for the product of the
provincial fisheries, often and earnestly
pressed upon the attention of this government and
asserts that the award of the concurring Commission
ers must be held upon necessary reasoning to have
measured and deducted this great value of free
ket from the appraisement OF the concession Of free
fishing to us. made by them under article Ii, this
vi11 a1va
Her Majesty's government Of the proposition, that
these concurring Commissioners in their award mis-
cuniary measurement and exceeded the authority
under which the commission acted.


VIEWS or THE UNITED STATES.


You will. however. very earnestly press upon Lord
Salisburys attention in advance Of any declaration
from Her MAjestys government OF their present
views of the value Of markets for the products Of
the provincial fisheries that this government has
changed or ut all modified its opinions on this sub
jcct To disseInble or conceal from Her Majesty's
,nv.rrnart thia Fart would ha unc.rdid ara e.,
silence on our part now breed mischief for fu-
ture contentious or negotiations This government
holds now as IT did by the mouth OF its High Com
missioners in the conferences the subject OF the
fisheries which produced the pertinent articles of the
treaty that free fish and hsh oil would be than
an equivalent for those hsheries." The measure Of
pccuniary value which have drawn from the revenue
loss to the United States. calculated with extreme
moderation is inadequate expression of the benefit
to provincial interests and injury to our from
free importations II is still the opinion Of this
government that the possession of
ket of vital Importance the maritime provinces
and such possession = formidable menace IL not
fatal wound TO our own nshing interests do not
think that misunderstood misrepresent those in
terests when say that standing as we now do. mid
way in the treaty period would be better for those
interests to surrender the enjoyment of the
fishing privilege Of article 1s for the remaining
six years of the twelve, upon = resumption by this
government Of the control OF our own market
ment and the provincial statesmen firm in the
opinion that the concession of article IS parts with
much to ns. and the concession of article 81 is
vsueless 70 British and provincial interests it may
well be worth while for the two governments to
slider whether mutual resumption Of these
In the future, az in the past. this
government will go, very far in con
fishermen OF the two nations. But these contribu-
tions to good WILL have before insisted TO
the other. 1t this spirit that free importation
Of coal. salt and lumber, which in debate
measure Of wholly domestic interest to ourselves.
but with divided opinions. was proposed to the
British government for reciprocal arrangements in
respect OF these articles TO be incorporated in
the Treaty Of Washington. The proposal
jected by the British government and the provincial
interests, doubtless, upon measuring cast as to
whether this reciprocity carried benefit injury
to provincial interests and what thought appre
ciaby greater advantage TO the provinces than to
selves. rejected unimportant to them. The
contrast between this indifference to free market
coal salt and lumber and the nexorable demand for
free market for fish and fish oil speaks volumes for
the pecuniar value Of this latter to provincial In
teresis.


Her Msjesty's government, IL may reasonably ~
assumed has given ~ this award OF the concurring
Com rissuners ~ careful attention and subjected H
in thu light Of the diplomatic negotiations whirh
established the Halifax Commission, and the
evidence before that comniisson, to comparison
with the authority impaired by the treaty deter
mine whether 1t conforms to the authority and
IL valid, transccnds that authority and for
that reason liz void. Whatever opinion Her Majestys
government may have formed on this point has not,
far tins government is aware, been made public
ern%en In inviting M expoaion Of the y@ws s"v
Of Her Majesty's government upon the matter
brought into consideration between the two
governments. you will say to Lord Salisbury
that. wholly unsnpportable the pecuniary meas