New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-28

! yyero NJ that pentlcman's disposal Next day
he visited Mr.. Blaine, in company with Sir
! Julian and at the request Of the former ne dealt
with the terms of the convention as they had been
| laid before the Imperial Government in July, re-
ported upon statistics. and afforded him all the
! information he desired
But now the startling revelation Il
discovered" said Mr.. Bond, the same day. to my
chagrin. that the British Minister at Washington
had no powers conveyed to him TO sign that con-
venton, or in fact to do anything more than
listen 10 what ! had got to say" Mr.. Bond,
however, was not going to he baked in this
fashion. He Immediately teegraphed to Sir w
Whiteway, requesting him to telegraph to the
Colonial Office for authority to be sent to the
British Minister at once. To this somewhat
peremptOry request the British Government made
no reply Immediately
Mr.. Bond waited from November % till De-
cember ., and then" he said, patience at last
ceased TO be virtue, and | found that II there
was anything to he done, had got to DO 1t my
self | therefore sought and obtained an inter
view with Secretary Blaine, on the 10Th day OF
| December and for the three following days de-
voted the whole of my time with that distinguished
! gentleman in arriving at convention winch could
not but be acceptable. when laid on the taple, 10
! the bitterest opponent | have in the island. III
| is impossible for me to lay the terms OF the con-
venton before the House at the present time
Political expediency prevents me from saying what
| its terms were.
| Now, it is noteworthy that tins new or possibly
amended convention was negotiated single-handed
by Mr. Bond with Mr. Blaine after both knew that
| Sir Julian had not authority to conclude any CON
yention and after the British Government had
| declined TO give him such powers In this MI
Bond showed his pluck. energy and fruitfulness OF
resource and Mr.. Blaine showed a marked degree
of friendneSs toward Newfoundland. What he
| came of this new convention? Mr. BOND did not
sav-whether it was handed to Sir Julian or sent
direct to the British Government.
Such is Mr. Bonds history of these transactions.
Then he went on to deal with Lord Knutsford's
excuses for refusing to ratify. The first was that
! the negotiations were informal and unofficial
! and that he had never promised ratlicatlon or
| given power to any one 10 conclude or To accept
the convention. The liberty to negotiate did not
| mply ratification. TO this Mr.. Bond replied that
the circumstances and the official documents which
he had brought before the House fully retuted
| Lord Knutsfords declaration. Il regret TO say,
said Mr. Bond that this excuse has all the APP
pearance of lstlessness and bad faith.
| lie then addressed himself to the second excuse
| that the Dominion of Canada had protested
against the ratification of the convention, ana that
therefore they were bound to hold 1t In aoeyance'
Mr. Bond contcndcd that as the British Govern
! ment had the text of the convention before them
| from July till September S, that was TIE time
| TO consider whether it would be acceptable, not
after the draft had been submitted to the Chlted
| States Government. Further. he SAID that when
| the British Government had, on OCTOBER is, de-
cided that in Difference TO the protest of Canada
satisfaction could not be granted, they had no
| hat Hicna tph i.
urging him to return to Washington What did
it mean2 Was it for blind, or with view
to conclude the negotiations?' He urged that
they should redeem their error by giving TO the
colony what they had led IL 10 DellcVe they
would give-that was satisfaction n great In
Justice had been lnlllcted OH Jle CoI0hS, anu ~
ought to be undOne.
Mr. Bond then went through the resolutions he
submitted, commenting upon them scflatlin ana
urging that he had been directed 10 proceed
second time to Washington as If for the purpose
of concluding the convention, against which Her
Alaiesty's Government mad already accepted the
were bound In honor 10 complete the negotla-
| tions, which were entered upon ana concluded, So
far as this colony Is concerned, IN good lalth
Mr. Bond closed long and able speech by
| the following pTOtcStatOn of his loyalty to the
| Throne of Great Britain am as loyal to my
Sovereign as any man standing on the floor OF tins
House or any OF Her MaJestys Ministers at home.
! | have the greatest reverence Tor Her Gracious
| Majesty the Queen. But while have the great
| reverence for Her Majesty the Queen, VINO
rules over us and the other dependencies conprs
| ing the greater Britain 10 50 great advantage, |
| cannot savishy submit 10 the injustice Of Her
| Malestys Ministers. The Government OF tins
| colony had been appealing TO Her MaIcstys Mn
listers for months, Tor years, 10 do justice to TINS
| the Oldest colony, and II Their prayers renamed
| unheeded, il would be for this House to appeal Ia
the British Nation through the High Court Of Par
| lament in England, ia defence OF what they
contended were their rights. There is much
| loyalty in this country as III any other country
| dol he. "A
| within whose veins pulsatcs the blood Of Terra
Nova who has not the proioundcst reverence
| for our Gracious Queen But while such Is
undoubtedly the case, the people OF this colony
| could not be expected 10 remain passive while
| their trade was being injured ana their c0nstltu-
tional rights were being inirlngcd by reason Of
the apathy of those who are her Majesty adj
vlserS
lie conclusion of the whole matter seems to
| he that Lord knutsiOrd has made a sad mess OF
| this abOrtiVe convention. lie has offended Canada
! by permitting q separate negotiation 10 be begun,
on the part of Newfoundland which he must
| have known would compromise Canadian interests
| and deprive the Dominion OF an important weapon
| In it's dealings withethe United States. lie has
| INITIATED and cXaspcrated Observation-Disclosures
| pointed high hopes Of reciprocity which would
open q new and bOundleSs market for It's fish, and
all this after the odious modus yivendi and the
ignominious collapse of the French shore ncgOtia-
lions. One asks Why did he permit these
negotiations for a separate treaty III the interests
| of colony to be opened al all without laying
the matter before the Canadian Government
| ANY statesman ought 10 have fOrcSccn that
| Canada would want 10 be included in treaty
| which opened American markets TO NcwfOund and
| fish, and would strongly object to have her fish
| taxed while ours were admitted free Of duty.
| He let's the negotiations 20 on and approach
| cOnsummatiOn and then Oh. Moses and green
spectaccs y hc asks Canada how She will like this
| convention, and finding il very distastciul. he
| throws over poor Newfoundland, the Cinderella
of the colonial family. Then, If he meant Mr..
Bond TO negotiate, why did he not give him
proper credentials and Instructions and place
these in his own hands before he started, instead
OF sending Some secret papers under seal to
Sir Julian Pauncefote through Mr. Bond, who
had to wait for the package in Ncw-lOrk? 1t
has vet 10 be proved that these papers did
| authorize Mr.. Bond 10 act as ncgOtIator and
| moi mcrclN as q conihcntial messlnecr. 10 Sir