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Show I SELECTED. 1 lie Canadian Flshertri. The foilowiDg is the portion of President Pres-ident Gract'a message, which was lost in iraniaiu-iioo over the wires on Mod-duy. Mod-duy. As it treats on a subject likely to be frequently relerred to, uu:il the fishery diffijrJty is settled, we give the section ent re, including that portion already published: The course pursued by the Camdian authorities toward the ILheries of the United States during the past season has not been marked by a friendlj feeling. By the Fir5t Article of thV Convention of I81S between Great Britain and the United Slates it was agreed that the inhabitants of the Lnited States should have forever, in common with British subjects, the right of taking fi-h in certain waters therein named. In the waters not included in-cluded in the limits named in the Convention, Con-vention, within three leagues of the ports of the British Coast, It has been the custom tor many years to give intruding in-truding ti-herman of the Cnited States a reasonable warning of the violation of the technical rights of Great Britain. The Imperial Government is understood to have delegated the whole, or a share of its jurisdiction, or control of theFe in shore gronnds to the Colonial au thority known as the Dominion of Canada, Can-ada, and this semi-independent but irresponsible ir-responsible agent has exercised its del-ega:ed del-ega:ed powers in an unfriendly way. N essels. have been seized without notice no-tice or warning, in violation o;" the custom previously prevailing, and have been taken into the Colonial Col-onial ports, their voyages broken up and the vessels condemned. There is no reason to believe that this unlrictidly treatment was designed to bear handily on the hardy fishermen r.f the Urited States with a view of political po-litical eCect upon this Government. The statutes of the Iomin on of Can bt'couie still broader, and assume more untenable jurisdiction over vessels ol the L nited States. They authorise otlicei's or persons to bring vessels hovering within three marine leagues of any of the eoat. bays, creeks or liarlj 'is of Canada, into port, to setrch the cargo, to examine the master on oath touching the cargo and voyage, and to inflict np u him a heavy pecuniary pecu-niary penalty if satisfactory answers are not eiven; and if such a vessel is found prsparing to lisit within three marine leagues of :ury such coasts, hays, creeks or harbors without a license, or afier the expiration of the period named in the last license granted it, they nrovide that the vessel, with her tackle, etc. , shall be forfeited. It is not known that any condemnations have been made under this statute. Should the authorities of Canada attempt at-tempt to enforce it, it will become my duty to take such steps as may be necessary to protect the rights of the I nited States. It has been claimed by Her .Majesty's officers that the fishing vessels of theUuitedStates havenoritrht to enter the open ports of the British possessions in Xorth America, except f or the purpose of shelter and repairing repair-ing damages, of purchasing food and obtaining water; that they have uo right to enter at the British customhouse custom-house or to trade, except by the purchase pur-chase of food and water, and that thej must depart within twenty-four hours after notice to leave. It is not known that any seizure of fishery vessels carrying car-rying the flag of the United States has been made under this claim. So far as the claim is founded on the alleged construction of the Convention of IS 18, it cannot be acquiesced in by the United Uni-ted States. It is hoped that it will not be in-isted on by her Majesty's Government. Gov-ernment. During the conferences which preceded the negotiation of the Convention of JslS, the British Commissioners Com-missioners proposed to expressly exclude ex-clude the lishermen of the United States f om carrying on trade with any of her Britannic Majesty's subjects re siding within the limits assigned for their use, and also that it should not be lawful for the vessels of the United States engaged in such fishery to have on board any goods, wares or merchandise merchan-dise whatever, except such as may be necessary to pro-ecute their voyages to and from said fishery grounds, and any vessel of the United States which shall ontravene this regula'inn may be seized, condemned and confiscated wi h her cargo. This proposition, which is identical with the construction construc-tion put on the lantruage of the Convention, Con-vention, was emphatically rejected by the American commissioners, and thereupon was abandoned by the British Brit-ish plenipotentiaries, and Article I, as it stands in the Convention, w is substituted sub-stituted If, however, it be said tna' the c airn is founded on provincial or colonial stMtures, and not upon the Conven'ion. this Government cannot but ri- ird them as unfriendly in contravention con-travention of the spirit, if not the letter, let-ter, of the treaty, for the faithful execution exe-cution of which the Imperial Government Govern-ment is alone responsible. Antieipai-ine. Antieipai-ine. that an attempt m iy possibly be made by the Canadian auihorities in the cining session to repeal their un neighborly act toward our fishermen. I recommend you to confer upon the Kxeoiuive the powers to suspend, by proclamation, the operation of the laws authorizing the tran-it of gods ware an 1 tnercrian lis? tn b v 1 across the territory of the United Slates to Canada ; and further, should such an extreme measure oe neeess.i-y, to suspend sus-pend the operation of any laws where-Ir where-Ir the vessels rf the Dominion of Canada are permitted to enter the water wa-ter of t'ne Un ted S ;rrs. |
