d interests of the American people were
not to be trampled on with impunity. The United States, in fulfilment of
an award made by a commission appointed under the Treaty of Washington
paid $2,000,000 for damages incurred by British subjects during the war
for the Union, the claims presented to the commission having amounted to
$96,000,000. The differences between the United States and Great Britain
on account of the rebellion were thus happily removed without the
shedding of a drop of blood, and the two great nations of English origin
gave to mankind an admirable example of peaceful arbitration as a
substitute for the ordeal of battle.

* * *

The question of the Northwest boundary was also settled to the
satisfaction of the United States, by the German emperor, William I., to
whom it was referred as arbitrator. The treaty of 1846 left in doubt
whether the boundary line included the island of San Juan and its group
within American or British territory. American and British garrisons
occupied the disputed island of San Juan. When the Emperor William
decided in favor of the United States the British troops were withdrawn.

Less advantageous to the United States was the attempt made to settle the
long dispute over the fisheries. The Treaty of Washington provided that
American fishermen should be freely admitted to the Canadian fisheries,
and that Canadians should be permitted to fish on the American coast as
far south as the thirty-ninth parallel, and that there should be free
trade in fish-oil and salt water fish, these provisions to be abrogated
on two years' notice. Through a most unfortunate blunder on the part of
our government a commission was constituted virtually British in its
character, which awarded to Great Britain the sum of $5,500,000 for
imaginary American benefits to be derived from reciprocity. This money
was paid without any real equivalent.

The reciprocity arrangement was abrogated, under notice from our
government, in 1885, and the old contention was renewed. As a result of
Canadian outrage and intolerance a bill was passed by the American
Congress, March 3, 1887, providing that the President, on being satisfied
that American fishing masters or crews were treated in Canadian ports any
less favorably than masters or crews of trading vessels belonging to the
most favored nations could "in his discretion by proclamation to that
effect deny vessels, their master