§ MR. PERCY WYNDHAMasked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether Acts have not been passed in the Congress of the Dominion, and in the Houses of Assembly in Prince Edward's Island and Newfoundland, giving effect to the provisions of the Treaty of Washington relating to the Fisheries, with the proviso that such Acts should not come into force, until the 1st of July next; whether the Governments of the three above mentioned Dependencies of the Crown did not admit American fishermen to fish during the fishing seasons of 1871 and 1872, and anterior to the above mentioned date; and, whether he could inform the House, that the Government and Congress of the United States have granted the equivalent mentioned in the negotiations, namely, the remission of Duty on fish oil and fish of all kinds entering the United States from the fisheries of the Dominion, Prince Edward's Island, and Newfoundland, during the corresponding period of time and anterior to the date of the 1st of July next?
§ MR. KNATCHBULL HUGESSENIt is not correct, Sir, to describe the Acts as having a Proviso that they shall not come into force until the 1st of July next. They are to come into force upon a day to be appointed by a Proclamation of the Government, which day will, however, be the 1st of July, that being the day on which the President of the United States intends to issue his Proclamation under the Act of Congress. The Governments of these three Dependencies of the Crown have determined to admit American fishermen to fish during the present fishing season, and anterior to the above-mentioned date; but the Dominion and Prince Edward's Island did not do so in 1871 and 1872. With respect to the last Question, my hon. Friend will see from the printed Correspondence that the engagement of the 2019 United States, mentioned in Mr. Fish's letter of the 8th of May, 1871, only referred to the then present season. There is no question of remission of duties on account of the opening of the fisheries during the season of 1872, which was an entirely spontaneous act on the part of the Government of the Dominion.