IXTEKNATIOXAI. TKKATIKS. 1,0 



on certain conditions, tliu.s apparently iuliuilting ilicir claims, 

 and casting a donbt on the cxdiuivr rights of tln^ cuhmists to all 

 the lobsters on the French shore, as to which no donht -whatever 

 existed in the minds of British statesmen and lawyers. This 

 was done, moreovei-, withont the knowledge or consent of the 

 .colonists, and in opjiosition to the jjosition taken previously by 

 the British Government. It had the appearance of conceding to 

 the French certain territorial rights which they never enjoyed 

 before, as lobster factories were permanent establishments. The 

 modm allowed all lobster factories in existence on July 1st, 

 1889, both French and British, to continue, pending an arbitra- 

 tion, ]jut prohibited all new erections, unless by joint consent of 

 the eommandeis of British and French naval stations. 

 STRANGE DISCOVERY. 



The unpalatable arrangement, however, had to be enforced by 

 the naval officers o\\ the station. Ere loiig a strange and start- 

 ling discovery was made, namely, that the Act of Parliament 

 .enalding British Governments to enforce these treaties, by orders 

 issued to naval olricers, had expired by virtue of one of its own 

 ])rovisions in the year 1834, and ha<l never been renewed ; so 

 that from that time till the present no legal authority had existed 

 for the enforcement of Her Majesty's instructions to na\al com- 

 niamlers upon the coast of Newfoundland. 



MR. JAMES BAIRD VERSUS SIR BAEUWIX ^VAI^KER. 



It was an unjdea-^ant surprise to the British (government to be 

 reminded of this fact, and told that their illegal enforcements 

 had been going on for 56 years. But to make such a discovery, 

 which no one at first credited or even noticed when announced, 

 ^\•as one thing ; and to work it out practi(!ally for the benefit of 

 the colony, was (pite another thing. ^Ir. James Bainl, a mer- 

 chant of St. John's, who was embued with a large amount of 

 public spirit, resolved to bring the matter to a practical issue. 

 One of his lobster factories on the French shore had been seized, 

 as he believed, illegally, irnder the provisions of the inodasvivendi, 

 and operations were ordered to be discontirnied. Mr. Baiul at 



