The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-05 00:00:00

THE X_EWFOUNDLAND FISIIERIES.

The following despatches have been published in
the St. John's Ledger
To his Excellency Sir Alexander 13annerman,

Governor Of Newfoundland, &c.
• " The petition of the inhabitants of the Bay of
St. George, in the island of Newfoundland, humbly
sheweth :

" That your petitioners were thrown into the
greatest consternation by reason of a notice officially
and peremptorily given on the 9th day of August
inst. to Mr. H. H. Forrest, as resident magistrate,
by the Baron Clement de la Ronciere-le-Noury,
Commander-in-Chief of the French naval division
on the coast of Newfoundland, whereby your
petitioners were given definitively to understand
that the concurrent right of fishery enjoyed by the
plantrs of this district without molestation or
question • for a period of 80 years and upwards
would be interfered with and disallowed by the
French Government.

" Your petitioners humbly represent that by far
the greater part: of the inhabitantS of the Bay of
St. George are natives of the soil, while all are
British subjects, loyal and devoted to their Queen,
emergencyyour petitioners
Excellency, and elaim
respectfully
therefore,
approach
s y our
and solicit such support and protection as will
maintain them in the occupation of the land of
their birth; and in the enjoyment of their fisheries.
" Your petitioners farther humbly represent that
the threat of 'interruption held: out by the French
is. alr4dy attended with- most serious evil, from the
fact that. trade is paralysed, and 'will wholly be
prostrated until a fair and equal participation of
the, fisheries- be secured to the planters, up to which
time your petitioners unhesitatingly, declare that
great .distress and. famine will reign paramount
through the settlement .
" As the settlement of this Bay for a period ex-
ceeding 80 years is t fact patent to the Governments,
both of England and France, ihi.pughTheir cruisers,
whose :duty it was, as appears from their practice,
to gather - statistics in relation to the French
shore, - and report thereon, - :your petitioners
humbly conceive that if not "supported in the
privilege Of fishing they Will be at least entitled to
raise the claim of indemnity for the very great
losses they will necessarily sustain consequent on a
removal, as the only alternative open to them under
such untoward circumstances will be emigration by
those who can possibly remove, or, more properly
speaking, involuntary exile to another clime.
" Wherefore your petitioners respectfully submit
the foregoing premises to your Excellency for
favourable consideration, and, as in duty bound,
will ever pray.
" Dated at the Bay of St. George, in the
Island of Newfoundland, this 20th
day of August, 1858.
" H. H. FORREST, 44 HENRY LIND, E.M.,
" JAMES MESSERVEY, " SAMUEL M'KAY,
" JAMES K. CRONLIN, " JOHN RENOUFF,
" PHILIP PIERWAY, " WILLIAM H. BAGG,
" And 119 others."

a Government-house, Sept. 7, 1858.

" Gentlemen,—When I had the pleasureof seeing
you here on Saturday I mentioned that on the 12th
of August last I despatched her Majesty's ship
Atalanta to St. George's Bay and the westward to
obtain information for me-upon the subject of the
fisheries ; and on Friday morning last her Majesty's
cutter Netley sailed on a. similar errand, carrying
despatches from me to Mr. Wadden, Magistrate at
Channell, and to Mr. Forrest at the Bay.
"I have carefully read over the petition of the
inhabitants there. As Mr. Forrest's name is at the
head of it, you will be pleased to acquaint him, for
the information of the petitioners, that I consider
their petition to be of great importance, and that I
will lose no time in transmitting it to her Majesty's
Government, for they were informed in 1857 that
peace would prevail pros idedthe convention fell to
the ground.
" By official notices given by the French Commo-
dore it seems very probable there will be no
peace f and I have no doubt, when the Secretary of
State is duly informed of the intentions of the Go-
vernment of France, the Queen's Government will
adopt such measures as they may consider necessary
to support and protect the fishery rights and privi-
leges which her Majesty's subjects possess in this
colony.
" I pointed out to you, and I think you quite
acquic,ced with me, that I attached much import-
ance to acquiring correct information; and I trust
that the petitions and statements which may be
sent to me will be such af
that the information
they contain can be substantiated, anticipating, as
I do, that much evidence will be required by those
whose province it will become to investigate the
claims set up by the parties who place different
constructions on the terms of existing treaties.
For instance, I notice in the St. George's Bay
petition the following allegation—' Whereby your
petitioners were given positively to understand
that the concurrent right of fishery enjoyed by the
planters of this district without molestation or
question for a period of 80 years and upwards
would now be interfered with and disallowed by
the French Government.'
" It is quite clear that 75 years ago the French
had no right, concurrent or otherwise, to fish or
occupy any part of St. George's Bay. At that
time the boundaries were from Cape Bonavista to
Point Richie, but in 1783 His Majesty the Most
Christian King, in ordor to prevent the quarrels
which have arisen between the two nations, re-
nounced his right to the fishery between Cape
Bonavista and Cape John, and the King of Great
Britain, on the other hand, assigned to French sub-
jects the fishery beginning at Cape John to Cape
Ray.' The English, therefore, until 1783 had un-
disturbed possession of St. George's Bay. In the
year 1792 the French War broke out and with the
short interval in 1802 continued until the Peace of
Paris in 1814, when ' the French rights of fishing
were replaced upon the footing which they stood in
1792.' Upwards of 40 years have passed away
since 1814, and, in my opinion, it will be of vast
consequence to establish that during this period, or
a great part of it, our fishermen have prosecuted
this fishery in St. George's Bay without causing
interruption to the French fishery. You will ob
serve that I seek for information, and will be happy
to receive it from all quarters, as I understand the
same notice which was given to St. George's Bay
on the 9th of August by the French Commodore
has also been announced by his Excellency and the
officers under his command generally throughout
the coasts of this colony commonly called the
French shore.'

" I have the honour to remain,gentlemen, your
obedient servant, " A. BANNERMAN.
" To C. F. Bennett, Esq., and F. B. Carter,
Esq.,

" By his Excellency Sir Alexander Bannerman,
Commander-in-Chief in
Kanndigolitve, Governorrthe
elsla and
Island of Newfoundland and its
Dependencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same.
To her Majesty's subjects, residing on and pro-
secuting the Fisheries along the Coast of New-
foundland and its Dependencies.
" Before the close of the present fishing season. I
am desirous to warn you not to interfere, or in_ any
way to meddle with the huts, stages, structures,
or any materials left during the winter on the
coast called the French shore. If you wilfully de-
stroy or commit damage on property which does
not belong to you you will not only be liable to
prosecution and punishment, but you will incur the
displeasure of your Queen: and throw impediments