St. Paul daily globe., 1890-06-05
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Denunciation Of French Outrages
in ST. Georges Bay.

Denunciation of French Outrages
in ST. Georges Bay.
HALIFAX, N. S., June 4.-Newfound-
land papers received by the steamer
Miranda tonight are filled with fierce
articles on the st. Georges bay
outrage. In giving latest par
ticulars of the affair. one of them says:
Ozark as were the colors which we en-
ployed painting pictures of French out
RACES in st. Georges bay, they were not
half black enough to faithfully pOr-
tray the actual scene. When British
gunbOat calmly looked on whilst
French man-of-war forbade
their own waters, we thought that there
could be no circumstances capable OF
adding further discredit to the reputa-
tion of the British navy. But we were
mistaken, for this outrage upon i'm
perial and colonial rights was aggra-
waited in the highest degree by the cir
cumstances of insOlence and violence
which attended its perpetration.
1t is the fact that an armed body of
French marines went in their boats to
the place in the harbOr of Sandy Point
where the nets of the New Foundland
fishermen were set, and there and then,
under the very guns of the "Pelican,"
ordered them to be taken out of the
water. This was ''a forcible INVASION
by foreign power of the mari
time jurisdiction of Great Britain and
Newfoundland, yet it was, as we know,
acquiesced in by fhe commander of the
British man-Of-War. But there was
another outrage of even more fragrant
character to follow. Having usurped
our maritime Jurisdiction, the French
next proceeded to assert on behalf
of their nation, territorial jurlS-
diction on Newfoundland. and again
they enforce their unrighteouS claims
by force, and arms. A French officer,
fully armed. came on shore at Sandy
Point, and read to the assembled British
citizens notice commanding them to
take up their nets. Even this last and
more impudent outrage failed to stir
the blood of the British naval
officers to resistance. Each one OF
these acts of violence constitutes, as
we believe, such contempt and inva-
or waters of New Foundland as
amounted to declaration of war. New
foundland had suffered an invasion by
an armed force belonging to a foreign
power, and up to the present no
steps have been taken by Britain to
avenge the outrage There. can be no
doubt that this was a deliberately
planned attempt OH the part of France
to force an admission from Britain of
right of sovereignty in the French re-
public to a certain portion OF the
waters and territories of Newfound-
land. No other motive than this
could influence them to take the meas
ures they adopted. They armed their
marines in order that they might set up
Oh behalf of their nation an authority to
exercise a coercive Jurisdiction and
inferentialiy, therefore. a sovereign
title to the land and waters of
the so-called French shore. In Or
der to assert this claim in the
amplest and most absolute manner, they
then proceed to exercise a coercive
jurisdiction on the land also. Hence it
is that the armed officer was sent ashore
to read his impious mandate to our peo-
pie. Every circumstance points to the
conclusion that this was the sole object
of the French in taking these proceed
ingS,