ral 
ter cost, and, owing to ice, at a period of the year later by 
hree or four weeks. If the cheaper, more ready, and more 
‘ pr Brolonged supply from the coast in the immediate neighbour- 
c ood of ‘the Banks’ were cut off, there can be no doubt whatever 
“that under no possible bounty could the quantity obtained by 
‘* foreigners remain as large as at present, and in all probability 
“it would fall off to that which would be sufficient for their 
i home markets. 
_ “22. This being the state of the case, it is evident that 
Newfoundland is thus furnishing the means of its own destruc- 
“tion, and it cannot be a matter of surprise that its people 
‘should desire to put an end to so pernicious an anomaly, and to. 
“be permitted to adopt the principle, which I am informed has 
long been put into practice in England, of preventing access to 
7 heir coasts on the part of foreigners for the ak ie of 
‘Pp occuring bait. 
“23, If the loss caused to foreigners by the cutting off of the 
* supply were at all commensurate with that which will be suf- 
ed here from its continuance, the argument against such a 
Tridivs on the ground of international comity would, of course, 
« have much strength ; but, as a matter of fact, the one is not at 
“all comparable with the other. For, while the fishing industry 
*“ in this neighbourhood is, by comparison with their otherresources, 
_ “ of infinitesimally small importance to the other peoples con- 
“cerned, it is to the people of this colony their all in all; 
‘and the withdrawal of the privilege from foreigners, while it 
“ would ‘at the worst ‘cause them only a comparatively trifling 
6 ee manne, is to us the sole means of preservation from 
“ruin. 
+94, Under these circumstances, ithe case of the colonists in 
; * favour of the proposed prohibition would be very strong, even 
“if the foreigners to be prohibited were in no way contributing 
* to the evil which it is designed to remedy; but in fact they 
_ * are, one and all, so contributing by the exclusion of Newfound- ~ 
“land fish from their markets, while the French, who would 
“ probably suffer most from the proposed measure, are by reason 
* of their export bounties chiefly responsible for its necessity. 
_ 25, Though this law, if allowed, would to a large extent 
“place the fish production in this neighbourhood within the 
* control of the people of this colony, they have no desire to 
pi an ili te a ew Sa 
a RETR Ha, me - 
