22 



coast of Newfoundland to the stipulations of the treaty of Utrecht, 

 provided it should b(; understood th;it they could take and dry fish on 

 the coast of St. Peter and Mi(]uelon. To the condition relative to the 

 residence of the commissary on the ceded islands they did not object. 



In England, opposition to «?/.?/ concessions to France was soon mani- 

 fest. The fisheries in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and on the Banks of 

 Newfoundland were held to constitute a great source of wenlth to 

 France, and to be her principal nursery for senmen. The voluntar}' 

 offer of the ministry, therefore^ to continue the privileges enjoyed under 

 the treaty of Utrecht, was viewed with great displeasure. The fish- 

 eries, it was said, were worth more than all Canada. The common coun- 

 cil of London, as representing the commercial interest of the kingdom, 

 transmitted to the members of the House of Commons from the city 

 peremptory instructions on the subject of the treaty, and particularly 

 that the sole and exclusive right of fishing in the American seas should 

 be reserved to the subjects of the British crown. Such, indeed, were 

 the sentiments of a large party. But their remonstrances were disre- 

 garded. 



The negotiations were concluded at Paris February 10, 1763. The 

 articles of the tt ealy which relate to our subject are the following ; 



" The subjects of France shall have the liberty of fishing and dry- 

 ing on a part of the coasts of the island of Newfoundland, such as it is 

 specified in the thirteenth article of the treaty of Utrecht, which article 

 is renewed and confirmed by the present treaty, (except what relates 

 to the island of Cape Breton, as well as the other islands and coasts in 

 the mouth and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.) And his Britannic Majesty 

 consents to leave to the subjects of the Most Christian King the liberty 

 of fishing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, on condition that the subjects of 

 France do not exercise the said fishery but at the distance of three 

 leagues from all the coasts belonging to Great Britain, as well those of 

 the continent as those of the islands situated in the said Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence. And as to what relates to the fishery on the coasts of the 

 island of Cape Breton, out of said gnlf, the subjects of the Most Chris- 

 tian King shall not be permitted to exercise the said fishery but at the 

 distance of fifteen leagues from the coasts of the island of Cape Bre- 

 ton; and the fishery on the coasts of Nova Scotia, or Acadia, and every- 

 where else out of the said gulf, shall remain on the footing of former 

 treaties." 



" The King of Great Britain cedes the islands of St. Pierre and 

 Miquelon, in full right, to his Most Christian Majesty, to serve as shelter 

 to the French fishermen; and his said Most Christian Majesty engages 

 not to fortify the said islands, to erect no buildings upon them but 

 merely for the convenience oi' the fishery, and to keep upon them a 

 guard of fifty men only for the police?." 



These stipulations were severely attacked in Parliament and else- 

 where. "Junius," in his celebratetl letter to the Duke of Bedford, does 

 not scruple to charge his grace with bribery. " Belleisle, Goree, Gua- 

 daloupe, St. Lucia, Martinicjue, the^s/<p7-?/, and the Havana," said he, 

 " are glorious monuments of your grace's talents f()r negotiation. My 

 lord, wc arc too ukU acqvaintcd with your j)ccv/iiar>j character to thinlc it 

 jiossiOle that so manij imblic sacrifices sliould have, been made without some 



