BRITISH, COLONIAL AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 299 



And by Article VI. of the same treaty, " The King of Great Britain 

 cedes the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon in full right to His Most 

 Christian Majesty, to serve as a shelter to the French fishermen; and 

 His said Most Christian Majesty engages not to fortify the said 

 islands ; to erect no buildings upon them but merely for the conven- 

 ience of the fishery ; and to keep upon them a guard of fifty men only 

 for the police." And by Article IV. of the Treaty of Versailles, 1783, 

 that " His Majesty the King of Great Britain is maintained in his 

 right to the island of Newfoundland and to the adjacent islands, as the 

 whole were assured to him by the 13th Article of the Treaty of Utrecht, 

 excepting the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, which are ceded in 

 full right by the present treaty to His Most Christian Majesty." 

 And by Article V. of the said last-named treaty that " His Majesty 

 the Most Christian King, in order to prevent the quarrels which have 

 hitherto arisen between the two nations of England and France, con- 

 sents to renounce the right of fishing, which belongs to him in virtue 

 of the aforesaid article of the treaty of Utrecht, from Cape Bona vista 

 to Cape St. John, situated on the eastern coast of Newfoundland, in 

 50 north latitude; and His Majesty the King of Great Britain con- 

 sents, on his part, that the fishery assigned to the subjects of His Most 

 Christian Majesty, beginning at the said Cape John, passing to the 

 north and descending by the western coast of the island of Newfound- 

 land, shall extend to the place called Cape Ray, situated in 47 50' 

 latitude. The French fishermen shall enjoy the fishery which is as- 

 signed to them by the present article as they had the right to enjoy 

 that which was assigned to them by the Treaty of Utrecht." And 

 by Article VI. of the said last-named treaty that, " With regard to 

 the fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the French shall continue to 

 exercise it conformably to the Vth Article of the Treaty of Paris." 

 And by a declaration of His Britannic Majesty, dated the 3rd day of 

 September, 1783, it was declared that " The King, having entirely 

 agreed with His Most Christian Majesty upon the articles of the 

 definitive treaty, will seek every means which shall not only insure 

 the execution thereof, with his accustomed good faith and punctuality, 

 but will besides give, on his part, all possible efficacy to the principles 

 which shall prevent even the least foundation of dispute for the future. 



" To this end, and in order that the fishermen of the two nations 

 may not give cause for daily quarrels, His Britannic Majesty will take 

 the most positive measures for preventing his subjects from inter- 

 rupting in any manner, by their competition, the fishery of the French 

 during the temporary exercise of it which is granted to them upon 

 the coasts of the island of Newfoundland ; and he will, for this pur- 

 pose, cause the fixed settlements which shall be formed there to be 

 removed. His Britannic Majesty will give orders that the French 

 fishermen be not incommoded in cutting the wood necessary for the 

 repair of their scaffolds, huts, and fishing vessels. 



" The XHIth Article 'of the Treaty of Utrecht, and the method of 

 carrying on the fishery, which has at all times been acknowledged, 

 shall be the plan upon which the fishery shall be carried on there ; it 

 shall not be deviated from by either party; the French fishermen 

 building only their scaffolds, confining themselves to the repair of 

 their fishing vessels, and not wintering there: the subjects of His 

 Britannic Majesty, on their part, not molesting in any manner the 



