The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-27

some OF our contemporaries, CViohiuA "uu
pseudoBritish, have latterly been expanding
good deal of Indignation in relation to certain
difficulties which are alleged to exist between the
French and English governments on the subject
of the Newfoundland fisheries. These journals,
which profess to be so well informed on all mat
tiers connected with the laws of Goldfish and fogs,
are wofully in the dark as to the precise origin
and character of those difficulties II is curious
that in our capacity of American journalists we
should be SO frequently called upon to set our
British contemporaries right on the history of
their own questions. The fact tells badly for
their patriotism and enterprise.
1t is assumed by these journals that the British
government are sacrificing the fishing grounds of
Newfoundland to France; that the interests of
the colonies are trifed with and that the French
Emperor is in tai way to obtain possession of
the whole island. The late convention is adduced
as a proof Of these assertions Now, no one
will accuse lis of disposition to stand forward
as the apologists of Great Britain, whose errors
of policy are great, Heaven knows; but we
are bound in fairness to state the fact
that the convention of 1857 with France,
of which so much complaint has been made, is,
to all inents and purposes, dead letter, for the
British stipulated in this instrument that it
should be imperative and of no effect until
sanctioned by the colony itself and the impe-
rial Parliament. Newfoundland refused her
assent and the agreement fell to the ground
and persisted, inasmuch as it carried with it the
seeds of its own dissolution The Convention
was, it is true, published in the Moniteur in
March, 1857 but no sooner was this fact made
known in London than a despatch was
sent off from the Foreign Office to Lord
Cowley, the British Ambassador in Paris,
with orders to bring the matter under the notice
of the Emperor. Lord Cowley had an interview
with the Emperor on the subject, and made
his Inconsistencies against the official publicity
given in the Monitear to treaty which was ac
tually defunct. Louis Napoleon expressed his
regret at the circumstance, and Immediately
sent off his finest and swiftest steamer, LIE New
ton, to Newfoundland, with instructions to the
French commodore not to act on the provisions
of the convention. LIE Newton reached her
destination, delivered her dispatches, and then
proceeded to other parts of the coast on the same
mission. While thus engaged she unfortunately
struck on sunken rock, and went to
pieces; but she had sufficiently executed her Or
ders previous TO the catastrophe. She was
beautiful vessel-the same, indeed, in which the
Emperor and Empress made their celebrated ex-
cursions along the coast of France Some of
her splendid cabin fixngs and gilded ornaments
are, we believe, still visible above water at the
entrance of Port au Chalk, where she was lost
The French did not fish that summer, nor since,
on the coast of Labrador, nor do they pretend to
have any right to do so under the convention in
question. So much for this charge of Gallo
aggression on British colonial rights.
Again: it is said that the French are dispossess-
ng the British settlers of their lands and set
Elements in ST. Georges Bay. Now, even after
setting aside the convention, the French have
Important rights on certain parts of the coast OF
Newfoundland, guaranteed to them by old trea.
ties, which cannot be abrogated without their
consent. This is the case at ST. Georges Bay,
where the French have a concurrent right with
the British to take, land and cure fish; so much
so that the colonial government have never made
any grants Of land, established courts, or admit
ted the inhabitants to electoral privileges Law
less persons have, however, settled there
without their authority and in their ca
pacity as squatters now claim as their own
what they have illegally possessed them
selves Of They have been repeatedly warned
that they have no rights. Yet it is from this
quarter that the complaints chiefly come.
A series of articles in the London Globe has
contributed to increase the irritation arising
from the present state of things. These articles,
which are very inaccurate and inAammatory,
have been traced to the Hon. James Tobin,
member of the Executive Council and Financial
Secretary Of Newfoundland. In them the cha
racter of the Roman Catholic Bishop, Dr. Null
lock, has been grossly assailed. In consequence
Of this. the Catholics of st. Johns have recently
held public meeting to vindcate the honor Of
their prelate. They passed resolutions defending
the Bishop and denouncing Mr.. Tobin. The latter
has been granted leave of absence from his Off
cial duties and sent about his business The
worthy gentleman has, we understand, taken
himself off in one of the Galway steamers.
The British government doubtless knows
what it is about in this matter. It will
not allow the French to have greater
privileges than are their due, especially
as the object of the latter is to encourage sea
fishing, by granting large bounties with view
to raise up seamen for their navy and dispute
the dominion of the seas with their neighbors
across the Channel. That there is a good deal of
complication in this Newfoundland question is
ov;1apt from, what xyo bavo stated Tho
tive rights of the two Powers to the shores of
the island are not sufficiently defined for general
USE The territorial rights at least Of ST. Georges
Bay, require calculation and energetic means
should be taken to prevent disputes and col
lisions between the fishermen of the two nations.
Ia The business Of tho prituh