292 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
“that there shall be a Governor...... in and over Our Island of New- 
“‘foundland, and the Islands adjacent, and 
All the Coast of Labrador. 
“from the entrance of Hudson’s Straits, to a line to be drawn due 
“ North and South, from Anse Sablon (sic) on the said Coast to the 
“fifty second degree of North Latitude; and all the Islands adjacent 
“to that part of the Coast ete.” 
These words, taken as they stand, and by themselves, do not appear 
to constitute any fixed line of boundary or contermination. The line 
of demarcation running due north from Blanc Sablon (the correct 
rame) marked (A) on the map is continued till it reaches the parallel 
of 52nd degree N. latitude. Then nothing more is said about it. 
There is something more to be supplied, something understood, and I 
hope to show in sequence what these words really mean and imply. 
The questions that arise on perusal of the above words are:—1st. 
What extent of coastline is thereby really handed over to the jurisdiction 
of the Governor to form a part of the province or colony of New- 
foundland? 2nd. What is the meaning of the word coast? Does it 
merely mean the high water mark; or the line drawn from headland to 
headland, as Quebec contends; or does it include some portion of the 
Hinterland, as Newfoundland contends; and if so how far inland? 
end 3rd. What is meant by the “ Entrance to Hudson’s Straits? 
In jorder to understand correctly the meaning of the above 
description and to answer these questions, it will be necessary to go 
tack to the 
History of Legislation 
in relation to British North America. 
Before entering upon this disquisition I would here say briefly that. 
1 propose to show that Quebec is both wrong and inconsistent in her 
interpretation of the meaning of the word “ Coast;” and, secondly, that 
whatever interpretation may be placed upon it, that Province is stepping 
entirely outside her powers in questioning the rights of Newfoundland 
cn the East Coast of Labrador. 
Whatever may be the extent of the rights, maritime or territorial 
of Newfoundland in the premises, is a question to be settled between 
Newfoundland and the Mother Country. But if anything at all is 
certain, it is that Quebec has absolutely no rights on the disputed ter- 
ritory, and no claim whatever to interfere in the question. JI may 
mention that the present dispute has been brought to an acute crisis 
by the fact that recently a settlement has been made by some people 
