New-York tribune., 1891-04-24
AT THE BAR OF THE LORDS
NEwFoUNDLAND'S CASE STATED BY HER
PREMIER, SIR WILLIAM wIIITEwAY.
PROPOSING IN PART THAT THE COLONIAL LEG
IsLATURE PASS AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE
MoDUS vIvENDI FOR THIS YEAR
AND THAT THE KNUTsFoRD BILL
BE DEFERRED-A BRILLIANT
SCENE IN THE CHAMBER.

AND THAT THE KNUTSFoRD BILL
BE DEFERRED-A BRILLIANT
SCENE IN THE CHAMBER.
London, April 23-The statement which Sir
William Whiteway, Premier and Attorney General
of Newfoundland and one of the Newfoundland
delegates now in London had prepared for the
House of Lords read by him to-day at the
bar OF the House Of Lords The statement opened
with a review Of the history of the legislation in
which Newfoundland is concerned since the Treaty
of Utrecht, in 1913, when France ceded ST.
Kits, Hudson Bay, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland
10 England Sir William then proceeded to give
the details of the objections Of the Newfound-
landers TO Lord Knutsford's Coercive bill, intro
duced in the House of Lords by the Colonial Sec
retary, and concluded with the following pro-
posals, which, he said, ought in the opinion of
the delegates and in the opinion of the people
of Newfoundland, to be accepted by the Imperial
Government as a solution of the difficulties now
existing:
That the Newfoundland Legislature pass i'm.
medGtely an act authorizing the execution for
this year of the modus vivendi, and of the award
OF the Arbitration Commission, together with all
treaties and declarations under instructions from
the Queen in Council.
That further progress of the KnutsfOrd bill be
deferred until the passage of the above act, and
that the present arbitration agreement shall not
be allowed to operate beyond the lobster question
without obtaining the prior consent Of the colony
of Newfoundland in which case the colony shall
be represented on the commission.
That the colony of Newfoundland desires that
the agreement be for unconditional arbitration
all points that either party raise under the
treaties.
If this can be arranged between Great Britain
and France, Newfoundland will ask TO be repre-
sented upon the Arbitration Commission, and will
pass act to enforce the execution of the awards
Of the commission.
Sir William Whteway, continuing, said that
!he Newfoundland delegates regretted that up to
ihe present moment these proposals had not only
SOt been accepted, but that no hope had been
held out that they ever would be accepted Their
adoption, he said. would Immediately cause the
excitement at present existing in Newfoundland to
subSide, and would induce peace under conditions
which would make coercion by warShips extremely
difficult. He added that if the Knutsford bill
become law it would have been forced upon a
resentful people, but that if the proposals of the
newfoundland delegates were adopted, every good
object Of the bill would be easily and pleasantly
attained. The enactment of the bill would leave
ranking wound in the hearts of the colonistS
and would establish precedent which would ever
give feeling of insecurity to every self-gov-
erning colony.
In offering, on behalf of the Colonial Leg
islature,' continued the Premier of Newfoundland.
to enact laws providing for the honorable full
hlment of obligations of an exceedingly oIfons
kind. we are animated BY spirit of patriotism
and devotion to the Empire. Persistence in the
passage OF the bill, therefore, will be a poor re-
turn for that faith in Parliament which animated
the Newfoundland Legislature in sending US to the
bar of the House of Lords "
The expectation of so rare and important an
occurrence as the representatives. Of colony being
heard at the bar Of the House attracted an un-
usually large number of spectators to the House
Of Lords: The seats in the side galleries were
filled with pecresses and the galleries assigned to
members of the House of Commons were largely
occupied. There was full attendance of peers
and the Prince of Wales and Prince Albert Victor
sat together on cross bench. On the steps of
the throne seated Lord LoTne, Sir John
Gorst, Political Secretary of the India ONCE /:
Baron Henry de Worms, Political Secretary of
the Colonial Office; Henry Cecil Raikcs, the Post
master General; Sir Henry James, and other lead
ing members of the House Of Commons
After Lord Salisbury had made the announce
ment that the Government had decided to send
three British warsbipS 20 the entrance of the
Pungwe River, Lord Dunraven moved that the
Newfoundland delegates be heard at the bar of the
House Lord Dunraven quoted precedents sus
talnlng tier claim to appear at the bar. Lord
KnutSford Secretary of state for the Colonial De-
partment, gave his assent TO Lord Dunmvcn's
notion and the Speaker of the House of Lords
Lord HalSbury, Lord High Chancellor of England
gave orders that the delegates from the people of
Newfoundland TO be admitted
>, The five Newfoundland delegates. headed by the
Premier OF Newfoundland, Sir William Whtcway,
thereupon made their appearance.
Lord Knutsford, at the close Of the Newfound-
land PTemier's remarks, in moving TO adjourn the
second reading Of his Newfoundland COercive bill
until Monday. referred in terms Of warm praise
10 the extremely able speech made by Sir William
Whteway. This adjournment was, as already
announced in order to give the Government time
fully TO consider the representations made by the
Newfoundland delegates. Should the delegates
be unsuccessful in their appeal to the House Of
Lords they intend TO apply for hearing before
the House of Commons.
ST. Johns n F.. April % SpeciaD.-Seventy
sail have left Bay rAreent loaded with her
ring. bound for ST. Pierre, forty miles away. The
people are starving and cannot resist the tempta-
ton of Sc barrel for the herring. The Fiona
and other cruisers chased the schooners. but all
escaped. ReinfOrcementS have been sent to the
cruisers.
The delegates in London cable that the Coercion
bill is than they had supposed, and would
establish martial law. with no appeal from the
dictum of naval officers, and that they not
hopeful Of aTesting IT,