OUR SEA FISHERIES. 187 



that as the Nova Scotians refused the treaty, it did 

 not exist. Still the French proceeded to act upon it, 

 and gave a threatening notice to the inhabitants of 

 St. George's Bay to quit their rights, and to cease to 

 use the shores as they had always been accustomed 

 to — a notice equivalent to confiscating their property. 

 The President of the Chamber of Commerce then 

 wrote to the British Commandant on that station, Sir 

 Houston Stewart, complaining of these encroachments, 

 and he replied, that "The interpretation of treaties 

 must be left to the Imperial Government ; " and 

 consequently, although the treaty is legally void, 

 according to the terms of it, it is acted upon by the 

 French, and our Government do not seek to prevent it. 

 It may be urged that a work of this nature is hardly 

 the right place to rake up treaties and matters of 

 Government ; but if these things affect the welTbeing 

 or cause the depression of our fisheries, I would ask — 

 how is it possible to consider how our fisheries may be 

 improved, and yet to ignore the chief causes of their 

 failure? I know that these subjects are not popular 

 studies, and that the merest ad cajptandum account is 

 too often accepted by Englishmen, instead of a search- 

 ing inquiry into the facts being exercised ; and it is 

 owing to such carelessness that bad laws or treaties, in- 

 jurious to our interests, are made and suffered to pass 



