52 



resolution was still adopted to discontinue all further attempts to check 

 the resident fishermen. The task had become, indeed, hopeless. The 

 tonn.'ige oi" the merchants' ships h.-id fallen to less than eighteen thou- 

 sand, and their catch to one hundred and thirty-six thousand cjuintals. 

 The produce of the boat fishery, on the other hand, had risen to three 

 hundred and ten thousand quintals. The boat-fishers, or inhabitants, 

 had, therefore, overcome every obstacle, and were in the ascendency. 



1 reserve a full answer to the many complaints against our country- 

 men who fish in the seas of British America, for another part of this 

 report ; that, however, which is made by the people of Newfoundland, 

 may be disposed of here. 



The charge is, that the British flag is no longer seen upon "the 

 banks," and that the privileges enjoyed by the French and Americans, 

 ])y treaty and otherwise, have caused the withdrawal of the English and 

 colonial merchants from that branch of the fishery. This chaige is to 

 be found, in substance, in an offensive form, in newspapers, in official 

 documeirts, and remonstrances to the home government. I submit, in 

 all kindness, that it is not so. The truth is, that the resident fishermen — 

 as Sir Josiah Child, a hundred and eighty years ago, anticipated they 

 would do — liave supplanted the merchants of" England, with whom they 

 so long contended ; that the boat fishery has taken the place of the vessel 

 fishery, in the common course of things. To catch fish by long, expen- 

 sive, and perilous voyages, when they can be taken at the fishermen's 

 ow-n doors, where catchers and curers can sleep in their own beds, taste 

 the sweets of a shore fife, and enjoy the comforts of home, is to dispense 

 with the steam-spiadle and go back to the distaff. There is no truth 

 in the complaint. The annual catch at Newfoundland, in whqle num- 

 bers, is one million of quintals, and, on a mean of 3-ears, equal to that of 

 any former period. This fact is conclusive. That the Americans dis- 

 turb the industry of the colonists, is not possible. The restoration of 

 the by-gone vessel fishery can be accomplished, not by driving these 

 "foreigners" fi'om "the banks," but by a new edict to hurii and destroy the 

 duxUmgs of British stihjects.* 



* Lord DundonaW expressed his views with regard to the British fishery at Nenfouudlaud 

 in a communication published in the London Times, August, lf^52, in the following terms. It 

 will be seen that he attributes the suspension of the vessel fishery to the bounty system of 

 France and the United .States ; and that he considers the employment of a naval force to pre- 

 vent " aggressions," a mistaken policy. 



To the Editor of the Times. 



Sir : The loading article of the Times of the 3d inst., on the subject of the British North 

 American lishrries, involves a maritinie (juestion of such vital importance to the i)ennanence 

 of our naval power, tliut I hope you will devote the corner of a column of your paper (perused 

 and pondered over by civilians and statesmen) to convey, in as frw words as possible, the real 

 cause of the progressive decay, and now total abandonment, of that once impoitaut nursery 

 for seamen, with which tlie duties of my late naval conmiand required that I sjiould make 

 myself intimately ac((uainted. 



Thv" result of authentic information derived fnnn official documents, most of which were 

 obligingly furnished by the zealous and indefatigable governor then presiding in Newfoundland, 

 (Sir O. LeMerchant,) ]»roved that the J5ritisli "bank" or deep-sea fishery formerly emph\ved 

 40fl i-ail of scpiare-rigged vessels and )2,()()(» seamen, and that now not <ine of these follow 

 their vociii ion in consequence of the ruinous effect of boimties awarded by the French and 

 North American governments. Tlie former ))ay their fishery ICf for every (piintal of fish 

 debarkc"! in the port of France, and i'A'. addirional (^n their exportation in French vessels to 

 jti>reign States, once cxclusivt^ly supplit'd by F.nghmd — a transfer which canm.t be viewed 

 eimply as a mercantile trausaction, seeing that the substitution of a greater number of foreign 



