63 
« trade and of export for traders from other countries; and there 
“is a large fleet of French bankers, and also a fleet sailing under 
he French flag, managed by French agents at St. Pierre, and 
Bawned, to some extent, by English and American subjects, 
Werapiored in catching fish to compete with us in all the 
“ European markets. This increasing fleet of Bank fishers has an 
_ “enormous advantage over our fishermen, from the fact that, in 
“ addition to the bounty before referred to, they obtain food and 
_ * goods of all kinds necessary for the fishery at St. Pierre almost 
“free of duty. While our fishermen are thus handicapped in 
_ the catching of fish, this fleet of bankers from St. Pierre obtain 
‘ ‘their supply of bait from our waters. The fish thus taken is 
‘ landed at St. Pierre, and on its export receives from the French 
_“ Government a bounty equivalent to about 10 frs. for every 
r 112 lbs. (English), 8 frs. direct and about 2 frs. indirect. The 
* average price of Labrador fish, which is more especially com- 
Beeoted with by French Bank fish, did not exceed in this colony 
“ during the past season 11 frs. for every 112 Ibs. (English). It 
“ will thus be seen that the bounty, as above, and differential 
4 duty on St. Pierre fish entering Spain, under the most-favouréd- 
_ “nation clause in their tariff, amount to 12} frs. on every 112 lbs, 
_ (English), or, in other words, to more than the whole value 
_ obtained by our fishermen for Labrador fish.” 
EVIDENCE BY UNPREJUDICED WITNESSES. 
_ The following extracts from correspondence laid before the 
Legislature will help to show how disastrously French bounties 
_ operated upon Newfoundland trade :— 
gu “The following is from A. P. Inglis, Esq., British Consul at 
_ “ Leghorn, and is dated 28th February, 1887 :— 
_  *Puring 13 months ended 31st January, 1887, the quantity 
_ “of French-cured cod-fish imported at Leghorn was 63,500 
« *qtls., whereas as recently as 1883 it was only consumed here 
y “in small quantities, early in the season, before the English 
_ fish came in. The bounty given by the French on fish landed 
} at Leghorn is 16 frs. for 100 kilogs. The amount of bounty 
- *»aid during the above period was £20,612 sterling. Rates of 
7 “bounty vary at different ports, the bounty at Genoa being 
_ 14 frs., at Naples 11 frs. The object in giving a higher 
_ “bounty for Leghorn was no doubt to encourage the French 
