220 THE LABKADOR PENINSULA. chap. xxxv. 



Capital invested ^23,436,226 



Persons employed ..... 16,370 



Annual value in 1850, ^12,040,804 ; in 1860, ;^7,521,588. 



COD AND MACKEBEL FISHEET, ETC., NOT INCLITDING OTSTEBS. 



Vessels employed . . . . . . 2,280 



Tonnage . . . .' . . . 175,306 



Capital invested ;^7,280,000 



Persons employed ...... 19,150 



Annual value in 1850, ^8,730,000 ; in 1800, 1^5,020,334. 



The convention between Her Majesty and the Emperor 

 of the French relative to the rights of fishery on the 

 coast of Newfoundland and the neighbouring coasts, 

 signed at London, January 14, 1857, created alarm in 

 Kewfoundland, and much excitement and anxiety in 

 the other British American provinces interested in the 

 fisheries. In March 1857, the Speaker of the House 

 of Assembly, Newfoundland, addressed an urgent letter 

 to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Canada, rela- 

 tive to this convention,* expressing the opinion that the 



* Su", — I have the honour, by direction of the House of Assembly of 

 this colony, to transmit you the following documents, involving a question 

 which they desii'e to bring under the consideration of the House of Assembly 

 of your province ; copy of convention between Great Britain and France, 

 relating to fisheries on the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador ; copy of 

 Secretary of State's despatch accompanying convention ; correspondence 

 between Her Majesty's Government and the several governors of the colony ; 

 copy of resolution and address of Assembly protesting against said con- 

 vention. 



You will observe by a perusal of these papers, that the British Govern- 

 ment have concluded a convention ^\-ith France, by which most important 

 concessions of fishing rights on the coast of this island_ and Labrador are 

 made to the latter power. The ultimate effects of the operation of this 

 measm-e will, it is confidently believed, be the depopvdatiou of this colony 

 of its British inhabitants, and the consequent possession of Newfoundland 

 by a foreign power. The French pm-sue the fishery on this coast as a means 

 only to the creation of seamen for their ua\-y, and the aid of the Imperial 

 Government is freely given to carry out this national object. We prosecute 

 the fisheries pm-ely as a commercial speculation, by the agency of private 



