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“ tions of the French Government, on the other hand, have also — 
“* necessarily received careful attention. 
** Her Majesty’s Government are aware that, when the Con- 
“vention of 1857 was under consideration, a clause relating to — 
“bait formea one of the grounds for the rejection of that Con- 
“‘ vention by the Government of Newfoundland ; but it is to be 
“‘remembered that the clause in question conferred on the 
“French not only the right to purchase bait, but to take it for 
“themselves on the south coast in a certain contingency, and 
“was for this reasou much more unfavourable to colonial 
“interests than that inserted in the ‘ arrangement’ of 1885. 
“In the negotiations which have taken place since 1857 a 
*“‘ provision for the sale of bait to French fishermen has been 
“invariably contemplated, and has been agreed to by represen- 
“ tatives of the colony on more than one occasion. Moreover, in 
“ resolutions adopted in 1867, and again in 1874, the Legislative 
“ Council and House of Assembly of Newfoundland agreed toa 
“clause allowing the French to purchase bait at such times as 
“ British subjects might lawfully take the same. 
“* More recently, again, when the ‘arrangement’ of 1884, inits 
“ first stage, was communicated to the Colonial Government, the 
“ article providing for the sale of bait to French fishermen was 
“ not objected to by them, although other modifications of the 
“ details of the arrangement were pressed by the colony. It was 
“ only at so recent a date as the spring of last year, when the 
“ arrangement as revised in 1885, in accordance with the wishes 
“ of the Colonial Government, was presented for the final approval 
“of the Legislature of Newfoundland, that exception was taken 
“ to the provision for the sale of bait to the French fishermen ; 
“ and this objection was followed up by the passing of an Act to 
** give effect to it. 
“ T recapitulate these facts in order to explain how it is that 
‘“‘ Her Majesty’s Government, while fully recognising the serious 
“* character of the representations now placed before them as to the 
* actual condition and prospect of the colonial fish trade, feel con- 
“* strained to admit that there are special difficulties in the way 
“ of an entire departure, at the present moment, from the policy 
‘“‘ which has been so long adhered to. The time is now close at 
“hand at which the French fishermen prepare to sail for the 
“ fisheries, and large expenditure has been incurred for the 
