172 INTERXATIOXAL TKEATIES. 



islands, to erect no buildings iqiun tlieni liut merely for tlie con- 

 Tenience of the fisliery, and to keep upon tlieni a guard of fifty 

 men only for the police." These conditions have l)een entirely 

 disregarded l)y the French who have made St. Pierre a Colony 

 and erected buildings of all kinds. 



TREATY OF VERSAILLES. 



The Treaty of Versailles, 1783, confirnieil the jn'evious treaties. 

 Further : a Declaration was attachetl to this treaty in which His 

 Britannic Majesty "in order that the tisliermen of the two na- 

 tions might not give cause for daily (piarrels" engaged to "take 

 the most positive measures for preventing his subjects from 

 interrupting in any manner, by their competition, the fisher} of 

 the French during the temporary exercise of it which is granted 

 to them, upon the coast of the island of Newfoundland ; but he 

 will for this purpose cause the fixed settlements which shall be 

 formed there to be removed." 



The Treaty of Paris, 1815, confirmed the previous arrange- 

 ments, and no modification or alteration lias since been made." 



INJURIES CAUSED RY TREATIES. 



The line of coast to which these treaties apply extends, as 

 already stated, from Cape Ray, at tlie soutli-western extremity 

 of the island, aixjund the western, nortliern and north-eastern 

 shores to Cape St. John. This is, in regard to its soil, climate 

 and forest and mineral wealth, incomparably su]:)erior to tlie rest 

 of the island. Had it not been by these treaties practically 

 locked up, it would long since have been colonized, and the 

 western coast Avould have been occupied by a fishing, farming, 

 lumbering and mining population, and thriving towns and vill- 

 ages would have sprung uji along its entire extent. To the 

 ■colony these unfortunate concessions have been most injurious 

 and have retarded its progi-ess more than all other causes put 

 together. The practical effect has been to exclude the i-)eople 

 from the fairest lialf of their OAvn territory ; to jirevent the in- 

 vestment there of capital in industrial enterjirises ; so that, for 

 the most jiart, it has remained in the condition of a primeval 



