had so phrased the opening
clause of the Reciprocity treaty as to make its provisions only
"_additional to the liberty secured to the United States fishermen by
the Convention of 1818_."

The right in the fisheries conceded by the treaty of 1854(2)--originally
ours under the treaty of 1782, and unnecessarily and unwisely renounced
in the treaty of 1818--was not given freely but in consideration
of a great price. That price was reciprocity of trade (so-called)
between the United States and the British North American Provinces
in certain commodities named in the treaty. The selection as
shown by the schedule was made almost wholly to favor Canadian
interests. There was scarcely a product on the list which could be
exported from the United states to Canada without loss, while the great
market of the United States was thrown open to Canada without tax or
charge for nearly every thing which she could produce and export. All
her raw materials were admitted free, while our manufactures were all
charged with heavy duty, the market being reserved for English
merchants. The fishery question had been adroitly used to secure from
the United States an agreement which was one-sided, vexatious, and
unprofitable. It had served its purpose admirably as a makeweight for
Canada in acquiring the most generous and profitable market she ever
enjoyed for her products. And yet Canadians seemed honestly to
believe that they had conceded to us more on the sea than we had
conceded to them on the land.(3)

The treaty of 1854 was to continue for ten years, with the right of
termination upon twelve months' notice by either party. It was
terminated on the 17th of March, 1866, upon notice given by the
United States one year before. By the abrogation of this treaty our
fishery rights were again, through our own unwise concession, subjected
to the provisions of the treaty of 1818. But Canada gained little by
this relegation, while she suffered great loss in consequence of being
deprived of her free access to the markets of the United States for
all her products of forest, field and sea.

During the existence of the Reciprocity Treaty the enterprise and
capital of the American fishing industry had in some degree developed
mackerel fishing, while a free market in the United States had
encouraged the inshore fishing of the British dominions to a great and
profitable extent. Perhaps at this time the British fishermen placed
an exaggerated est