314 MISCELLANEOUS 



had been practically as great as if the French view of them hncl been 

 actually accepted. 



By the acceptance of this Arrangement all of the most serious of 

 these evils would come to an end, and leaving the Bait Clause out of 

 consideration, all the other concessions under it were distinctly to the 

 advantage of British interests. 



On the other hand, beyond the gain which was shared by both 

 nations in the settlement of a matter of long-standing dispute, the 

 only advantage accruing to the French was the recognition of a right 

 to purchase bait, which they had always enjoyed in practice. The 

 French could not be expected to give up everything and to gain noth- 

 ing in return, and the recognition, even if it were a greater disadvan- 

 tage to us than it is, would be immeasurably outweighted by the 

 removal of obstructions to the opening up of the Colony, and the other 

 benefits accruing from the Arrangement. But, for reasons before 

 given, the Bait Clause did not involve any disadvantage which was 

 not likely to be suffered in much greater intensity if the sale of bait 

 were prohibited; so that, in fact, in every single respect their interests 

 pointed to the confirmation of the Arrangement as the best course 

 open to them. 



6. Finally, after describing the serious results which were likely 

 to follow the rejection of the proposed Arrangement, which it is un- 

 necessary to specify more particularly here, I pointed out the ex- 

 tremely difficult position in which Her Majesty's Government would 

 bo placed, as regards the Government of France, if the present Ad- 

 ministration of Newfoundland were to fail to fulfil the obligation 

 with regard to this Arrangement which had been incurred by their 

 predecessors in office, and I urged in the strongest manner that both 

 the credit and interest of Newfoundland required their loyal support 

 to a Convention to which they would be regarded by the outside world 

 as practically pledged. 



7. Without going so far as to say that the members were convinced 

 by what had been said, it was clear that it had considerable effect 

 upon them; but it was also equally evident that the consideration 

 uppermost in their minds was the impossibility of inducing a majority 

 of the Members of the Legislature to take a view such as that which 

 had been presented, strongly biassed as they were in the contrary 

 direction, and at the same time stimulated to opposition by the violent 

 language of the press, which in this respect, no doubt, represents the 

 general opinion of the public. 



8. The only immediate outcome of the meeting, therefore, was the 

 adoption of a suggestion of the Premier that Mr. Pennell should be 

 present at the next meeting of the Parliamentary Committee which 

 was considering the Arrangement, when he would have the opportu- 

 nity of urging upon them the views which I had expressed. 



9. My own attendance before the Committee, which was also sug- 

 gested, did not appear to me advisable as being likely to defeat its 

 object. For, however careful my language might be, it would be 

 difficult to avoid the appearance of dictation, which, on the part of a 

 Governor of a constitutionally -governed Colony, there is usually a 

 not unnatural tendency to suspect and resent. 



10. Judging from what I heard at this meeting, and from the 

 opinions of colonists expressed elsewhere, I entertain but a very 



