The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-31
The Newfoundland Trouble.

Matters have gone from bad to worse In
Newfoundland since the Legislature Of the
colony presented an address to the Queen
demonstrating against the provisional ar
rangement lately entered into between the
British and French Governments. On
Thursday Of this week the officers Of a
French man-of-war issued q proclamation
forbidding the people of Newfoundland to
fish for herring IN st Georges Bay or to
continue operating their lobster-canning
factories; and, in consequence Of this act.
the inhabitants have refused to pay duties
on imports on the ground that the British
Government, having refused to protect them,
have lost the right to tax them.
Let us sum up as briefly as possible the
antecedent history OF this question. By the
Treaty OF Utrecht in 1719 there were reserved
to France certain rights over portion OF
the Newfoundland coast known as the
French Shore. The phraseology reciting
these rights was repeated and confirmed by
all the treaties Of the eighteenth century,
and by those of 1914 and 1915. although the
boundaries Of the so-called French Shore
were varied in 1888. Unfortunately, the
language defining the French rights was
ambiguous, and has lent itself to widely diff
ferent constructions. Tho French contend
that by the terms Of the treaty they enjoy
an exclusive right Of fishery between Cape st.
John and Cape Ray, passing round the north
OF the island, and that all British fixed set
Elements on the intervening coast are con-
trary to the international compact. On the
other hand, the Observation-Disclosures maintain
that they have concurrent right OF fishery
80 long as they do not interfere with the
fishery Of the French; and that while they
have no right to fixed fishing settlements
on the French shore, they have right to
fixed settlements OF any other kind They
assert further that the right given to France
by the treaty OF Utrecht to catch fish, and to
dry them on the French shore, does not in
clude n right OF erecting lobster-canninR
factories. for Holsters are not fish, and can
ming ID not drying. Another grievance, on
which the Observation-Disclosures lay stress Is the
bounty OF eight shillngs and sixpence per
French hundred weight, or quintal, received
by the French fishermen from their Govern
mcnt. This bounty, it is maintained, vio-
lates the terms OF the treaties stimulating
that the mode OF conducting the fisheries
shall be the same as heretofore; inasmuch
as, at Inc time of signing the treaties. no
landers accordingly demand not only that
the treaties shall receive the construction
which they put upon them. but that even
the treaty rights conceded by themselves to
the French shall be deemed suspended until
the bounty is rescinded.
1t is obvious that tho claims Of the opposed
parties are irreconcilabc, and the conflict of
construction has led to frequent collision
between the French and the Newfound-
landers. Riots have repeatedly been caused
by the election of tho latter from French
drying places; and even when British sub
jccts have occupied portions OF the French
coast not taken up by French establishments,
the French have turned them out by force.
Many efforts have been made to put an end
TO his dispute by conventions agreed upon
between England and France, but these have
been rejected by the Newfoundland Legisla-
ture on the ground that they presented
no satisfactory solution OF the ques-
ton at issue The arrangement made, for
instance. in Paris five years ago was re.