The Parliamentary papers just published with regard to the fishery
disputes with the United States include a despatch from Lord Granville, dated October 27th last, that is a perfect model of the absolute reasonableness and dignity with which international disputes should be discussed between the Governments involved. Lord Granville at once admits that the Newfoundland fishermen had no right to take the law into their own hands, and violently attack the fishermen of the United States, even though the latter were trangressing the common rules to which the common fisheries must be assumed to have been subject. And he frankly declares the willingness of her Majesty's Government to indemnify the injured fishermen for any injuries and losses which, upon a joint inquiry, it shall be proved that they sustained through the violence of the British fisher- men in Fortune Bay, assuming, of course, that this does not apply to any asserted loss on account of fishing which, by the Treaty of Washington, the United States fishermen had no right to attempt, such as what is called the strand fishing. Again, the British Government is quite willing to consider, in conjunction with the United States Government, to what com- mon regulations the common fisheries should in future be subjected; though the rules when agreed upon mint, of course, be enforced in British waters by the Colonial Govern- ment of Great Britain, just as in United States waters they will be enforced by the Government of the United States. From beginning to end the despatch is perfectly impartial, and looks at the British case with a judgment as cool and reason- able as if it were that of a third party, but without the least touch of weakness or superfluous conciliation. That it has pro- duced the best effect in the United States, we know, from the recent Message of President Hayes.
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