Show CANADAS OBJECTIONS Lansdovnie Thinks That Bay ards Fishery Propositions are ImidmissaMe Opening of the Trial of Fotherlngham the Indicteil Adams Express Messenger The Wages of San Francisco Employes Cut Down and Credit Given to the InterState Commerce Lair Fishery Correspondence OTA May 4The Minister of Fisheries Fish-eries has brought down the fisheries correspondence corre-spondence I is a bulky volume covering the period from I8Sti t very recent date Much of the correspondence has already al-ready been published and it i only the later dispatches which are of public interest at the present time Following recent negotiations for the settlement set-tlement of existing difficulties it appears that on December 3d last Mr PhelpsUnited States Minister at London transmitted to the Imperial Government the copy of an outline for a proposed ad interim arrangement arrange-ment between the two governments on this subject which had been prepared by Secretary I Secre-tary Bayard After reciting the differences I which had arisen in regard to the interpretation inter-pretation of the treaty of 1818 Secretary I Bayardproposed a mixed commission for the following purposes Of the lines of limits which shall separate the exclusive from the common riguttof fishing on the coast and in adjacent waters of tho British American colonies in conformity with the first article of the convention of 1818 except that the bays and harbors from which American fishermen are in future to be excluded ex-cluded save for purposes of where entrance into bays and harbors is permitted by said article are hereby agreed to be taken to bo such bays and harbors i as are ten or less miles in width and the distance of three marine miles from such bays and harbors shall be measured from a straight lino drawn across tho bay or harbor in the port nearest the entrance at the first point where the width does not exceed ex-ceed ten miles said lines to be regularly numbered duly described and also clearly marked on the charts prepared in duplicate for the purpose To agree npon and establish estab-lish such regulations as may be necessary and proper to secure to the fishermen of the United States tho privilege of entering tho bays and harbors for tho purpose of shelter and repairing damages therein purchasing wood and obtaining water and to establish restrictions to prevent the abuse of the privileges priv-ileges reserved by said convention to tho fishermen of the United States To agree upon and recommend the penalties to be adjudged and such proceedings and jurisdiction juris-diction as may be necessary to secure a speedy trial and judgment for violators of tho rights and transgressors of the limits and restrictions which may bo adopted Pending a definite arrangement there was to be abstention from seizing United States fishing vessels unless found within three marine miles of the Canadian coasts Mr Bayard further proposed that each country should send a national vessel to the Gulf and to the south coast of Nova Scotia to superintend the fishing operations and hear and examine into any cases of dispute which might arise I is also suggested that the fishing vessels of the United States are t have in the Canadian ports the lame privileges as other vessels of the United States including the right to purchase bait and other supplies and that the Government Govern-ment of Great Britain is to release all the United States fishing vessels now under seizure for failing to report at the customhouses custom-houses and to refund all fines exacted for such failure A copy of this dispatch was duly forwarded for-warded to Canada and under date of December De-cember 28th Lord Lansdowne forwarded the reply of the Canadian Government With regard to the first article in Mr Bay ards proposal it says Ihis reservation involves a surrender of the exclusive right of fishing in the bays which have hitherto been regarded as beyond all question within the territorial waters of Canada such for instance as the right of fishing in the inner waters of Bale Bes Chaleures at points forty or fifty miles from its mouth which roughly speaking may be said to be less than twenty miles wide at its opening Article 2 of the memorandum prejudges in favor of the United States one of the most important points which have been in dispute dis-pute by deciding adversely to Canada the construction which is to be placed upon the Imperial and Canadian statutes the proper interpretation of which is at this moment a subject courts of litigation before the Canadian Article 3 was objected to as likely to lead to frustrating the ends of justice Article 4 prejudges in favor of the United States an important question which has arisen as to the commercial privileges to which the United States fishing vessels are entitled while in Canadian waters The history his-tory of the negotiations which preceded the convention of 1818 makes it perfectly clear that the purchases of bait was not one of the purposes for which it was intended that the United States fishing vessels should have the right of entering Canadian water It is proposed by Mr Bayard in the article under consideration that this point also should be decided in anticipation against the Dominion without further discussion Under article five it is assumed that the seizures and detentions which have taken place during the past season in consequence of the noncompliance by the United States fishermen with the customs laws of Canada have in all classes involved a violation of the treaty of 1818 by the Canadian authorities authori-ties and the Canadian Government was in effect asked before going to court to plead cnilty to all the counts contained in this auiy tq part of the indictment against us Then Mr Bayards proposal amounts to this that the Government of the Dominion is to submit its conduct in the past and its right in future to tho arbitration of n commission com-mission without any assurance whatever that the recommendations of that commission commis-sion are likely to be accepted by Congress and that before the inquiry commences it is t place upon record nn admission that it has been in the wrong upon all the most important points in the controversy Such imprtnnt pints admission would involve a public renunciation renuncia-tion of substantial and valuable rights and privileges for all time without any sort of equivalent as a compensation I trust that Her Majestys Government to the utmost of its ability may discourage the United States from pressing the proposals in their present antness shape and will avoid any unpleas I |