The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-03-28
THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY QUESTION.

ing extract from speech of the Attorney General In the
Colonial House Of Assembly made February 2sh and the
subsequent extract from Mr. Hoyles speech on the
subject:
From The Aaorney Generals Speech.
There point however, upon which he would con-
graduate the country and that the recognition In the
convention Of the constitutional right Of the legislature to
say whether its terms would be accepted or and
it glorious consideration to think that AFTER the long
struggle which the country has sustained Tor us present
form OF sefgovernment that il in the proud posi-
ton of being the arber of its destnies and OF main
tanning the rights ofits inhabitants even IN oPpos
ton to desires of the of England and
France [Cheers This was patriotic contest in which
right justice and were on our side and we acted
wisely firmly and theoretically this OCCASION weshould
be raised In the estimation of all who value constitutional
principles.
sense dictated it, Ii their duty 10 give stern refusal
the propositions OF the convention and to adopt the
ouons and address prepared in committee and which be
would now introduce II their duty to resist the
France of rights in that part Of the fish,
ing grounds of the country still left whether for the
purpose of taking bait fish Of any kind and they should
remember that rights the French would
be converted by their numbers their superior appliances
and large bountes into exclusive Already the peo-
Pile Of the country had been forced TO abandon their
shores and to the bleak but valuable coast of La
brado and would be the duty of the House to sustain
them in the privileges which they enjoy there The
population should not be driven again from their own pos
the undsturbed occupation OF Belle Isle and Labrador
lCheers] If this country had belonged to America she
would consented to surrender Its fisheries TO the
French; and now when they had been told that of the
objects of the convention all existing
Of difference and collision he should remark that if the
present convention became operative all the British French
and American protective force would be required to pre-
amongst the fishermen OF the three nations and
this be thought state Of things which they by their
legislation, should not sanction X
Looking therefore the many interests at stake in
national point Of view, the proposed arrangement would
be most Injurious They should imbody their reasons and
views in resolutions and address to be sent to both
houses Of Imperial Parliament we'll as to the foot OF
the throne and they should enter into correspondence at
with the sas
British colonis They should send delegates to England
to awaken public opinion to the national Importance OF
nras,,ryng the fisheries Of Newfoundland, which had
heretofore been fruitful nursery for to man her
victorious navy When they shall have taken these meas
urea and not TIL then, they would have done their duty
and he relied that the result would be the OF
the rights of the country The French well the British
would thus that their opposition had been
reasonable and well grounded not capricou. OF facous
Int pursued in seIdeence and sepreservaton and that
they had every principle reason and OF right to justify
them 1t their duty, also to 40 everything they could
m convince the British of the mpolcy OF the
convention to show them the rninous
ssquences which would bring upon the colony True
her Majesty had promised to her best exertons TO have
such passed wnd give the effect OF law 70 tne cen
yenton but when she shod be appraised OF the feelings OF
her royal subjects Newfoundland Of the injury 70 their
interests and the destruction Of their privileges Wncn
would OCCASION and having referred the matter for neir
decision she would say her noble ally have used my
best exerons obtain the concurrence or nay people IN
Newfoundland but without effect their Legislature mas de
cned pass the necessary laws have fuhlled the oo
cation TO which had bound myself The honorable gen.
tieman concluded by moving the resolutions he read.
From Mr. Hoylss Speech
Mr. Hoyles said the honorable and learned Attorney Gen
era had gone very fully into all the points OF the import
ant subject which was now before their consderaon nc
had shown how the rights Of fishery upon Ger,
portions of the coast of had been coded
by treaty the French nation with the right OF priority
il there should be sufficient for the fishermen OF
together interfering with eacn
other He had shown the construction OF the teae from
that Of Utrecht that Of Paris and that OF Versaes and
although was that those treaties hac not conferred
JPN the French exclusive right nevertheless at this
time when they considering the subject very differ
ent result had obtained, and had obtained ior consider
able time back in practice exclusive right had been
assumed by the French either from the indifference or ne
glect Of England, the wrongful force or exclusion Of
France The encouragement extended by the government
OF France to French fishermen in the shape Of boune the
superior appliances of large seines and bultows and the
greater number Of engaged had resulted in effect upon
that part of known the French shore in estab
fishing for the French exclusive of these fisheries
The honorable and learned Attorney General had clearly
and distinctly shown that from the hrst time the
French had been uniformly and invariably denied by Brit
sh authorities without exception down TO the con-
venon of the l4th January last He r Hoyes) did not
consider it necessary him refer TO the subject prior to
the Of the convention and ne purposey absained on
the present occasion from going into any commentary on
or on the proceedings of the council with respect to 1t when
submitted for concurrence This course he consid-
cred the judcous At tnf present ue Wnen ~ was
essential to the success the object they all had in view
that the most perfect harmony should prevail and he
thought his learned friend the Attorney General might as
well have passed all reference to Governor Darling
despatch His mr. Hoyles observations should be con-
fined the conveon but the time would come when ne
and his honorable friends would have full opportunity
hereafter of discussing the subject OF that despatch in all
its bearings The question before the chair was the adop
ton of the report of the select committee appointed by the
House That committee had been laborousy and unre-
mngly engaged for several days. had taken much evil
dence had drawn the resolutions and address which
then under their consideration the object and char
of which had been explained by the honorable Ator-
ney General He (Mr. Hoyes) had given to the
ton his earnest consideration and when at first IL
had been laid before the House he thought its conditions
were such that could not be recognised adopted after
wards in committee his impressions had been confirmed by
the unanimous of those who acted with him upon
that committee and they had adopted resolutions express
sve their entire and absolute dissent from its terms and
conditions; nevertheless 1t subsequently occurred to hin,
that they might have possibly been precpae feeling that
and that their judgments might have been strained and
their feelings exaggerated by proposition, which, if
terained would strike at the foundations OF the prosperity
of themselves and their ow-colonists; but after his
camest reconsideration he had not been able to alter the
opinions which he had at first entertained to the prob
able ruinous effects which would be generally entaed upon
the population Those who at all acquainted with
our fisheries knew that the British fisheries now for
the part limited to two points-the upon the
westward shore of Newfoundland the other upon the coast
of Labrador and it right to these fisheries on the
part of the French to which the Of egsa
ture solicited by the British government If these fish
cries should be TAKEN how then could the population be
sustained Where then could they look for profitable
employment for their industry return for the enter