300 MISCEI.LANEOUS 



French fishermen during their fishing nor injuring their scaffolds 

 during their absence. 



" The King of Great Britain, in ceding the islands of St. Pierre and 

 Miquelon to France, regards them as ceded for the purpose of serving 

 as a real shelter to the French fishermen, and in full confidence that 

 these possessions will not become an object of jealousy between the 

 two nations, and that the fishery between the said islands, and that of 

 Newfoundland shall be limited to the middle of the channel." 



And by a counter declaration of His most Gracious Majesty the 

 King of France, dated the 3rd day of September, 1783, it was declared 

 that " The principles which have guided the King in the whole course 

 of the negotiations which preceded the re-establishment of peace must 

 have convinced the King of Great Britain that His Majesty has had 

 no other design than to render it solid and lasting, by preventing as 

 much as possible, in the four quarters of the world, every subject of 

 discussion and quarrel. 



" The King of Great Britain undoubtedly places too much confi- 

 dence in the uprightness of His Majesty's intentions not to rely upon 

 his constant attention to prevent the islands of St. Pierre and Mique- 

 lon from becoming an object of jealousy between the two nations. 



"As to the fishery on the coasts of Newfoundland, which has been 

 the object of the new arrangements settled by the two Sovereigns 

 upon this matter, it is sufficiently ascertained by the Vth Article of 

 the Treaty of Peace signed this day, and by the Declaration likewise 

 delivered to day by His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador Extraor- 

 dinary and Plenipotentiary; and His Majesty declares that he is 

 fully satisfied on this head. 



"In regard to the fishery between the Island of Newfoundland and 

 those of St. Pierre and Miquelon, it is not to be carried on by either 

 party but to the middle of the channel; and His Majesty will give 

 the most positive orders that the French fishermen shall not go 

 beyond this line. His Majesty is firmly persuaded that the King of 

 Great Britain will give like orders to the English fishermen." 



And by further Treaties between the said Great Contracting 

 Parties, viz., by Article VIII. of the Treaty of Paris, 1814, it was 

 agreed that " His Britannic Majesty, stipulating for himself and his 

 allies, engages to restore to His Most Christian Majesty, within the 

 term which shall be hereafter fixed, the Colonies, fisheries, factories, 

 and establishments of every kind which were possessed by France on 

 the 1st January 1792, in the seas, on the Continents of America, 

 Africa, and Asia, with exception, however, of the Islands of Tobago 

 and St. Lucia, and the Isle of France and its dependencies, especially 

 Rodrigues and the Sechelles, which several Colonies and possessions 

 His Most Christian Majesty cedes in full right and sovereignty to 

 His Britannic Majesty, and also the portion of St. Domingo ceded 

 to France by the Treaty of Basle, and which His Most Christian 

 Majesty restores in full right and sovereignty to His Catholic Maj- 

 esty." And by Article XIII. of the said last-named treaty that 

 " The French right of fishery upon the Great Bank of Newfoundland 

 upon the coasts of the island of that name, and of the adjacent islands 

 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, shall be replaced upon the footing in 

 which it stood in 1792." And by Article XL of the Treaty of Paris, 

 1815, that " The Treaty of Paris of the 30th May, 1814, and the Final 



