BRITISH, COLONIAL AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 317 



the 30th September next, in Rockv Harbour (Bonne Bay, "French 

 Shore"). 



I am instructed to inform your Excellency that, in view of the fish- 

 ery right conferred on France by the Treaties in the part of the island 

 to which, the Decree applies, a right which can evidently not be re- 

 stricted in its exercise, it is impossible for my Government to recog- 

 nize in any way the validity of the measure taken by the Newfound- 

 land authorities. 



I have, &c. (Signed) L. D'AUBIGNY. 



Captain Le Clerc to Captain Hamond. 



[Translation.] 



" CLORINDE " (off Sydney), September 00, 1886. 



SIR: I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter 

 of the 13th September dispatched from the " Emerald " at Port 

 Saunders. 



I thank you for the measures which you have kindly taken with 

 reference to the lobster factories at Bluff Head and at Shag Island 

 anchorage at Port-a-Port. 



I cannot, however, allow your letter to pass without drawing your 

 attention to your failure to distinguish between the annoyance caused 

 to our fishermen by the presence of those factories and the manner 

 in which their working is conducted. When I requested you to sup- 

 press them, I had at first in view the evident violation of the rights 

 of France by certain of your countrymen, who have not even the 

 excuse of being citizens of Newfoundland, since, with the exception 

 of one only, all the manufacturers are from Prince Edward Island, 

 or from Nova Scotia. In the second place, I desired to draw your 

 attention to the disastrous consequences to the fishery caused by the 

 carelessness and unrestrained manner with which the British fisher- 

 men carry on their illegal industry. 



These acts have been repressed by your exertions, and it is a step 

 for which I thank you ; but I shall not cease to demand from you, and 

 consequently from Her Britannic Majesty's Government, the closing 

 of these establishments. 



They tend in fact to multiply in a manner dangerous for the future, 

 and the sufferance accorded them by the Government of St. John's 

 may lead to the most unpleasant consequences. 



You are probably aware that our people, by reason of the attitude 

 taken by the St. John's Parliament on the subject of the sale of bait, 

 will soon be compelled to make use of the Bay of Port-a-Port, to fish 

 there themselves for that which they were in the habit of buying 

 from British fishermen on the south coast of Newfoundland. It 

 follows from this circumstance that, if these factories are still work- 

 ing next year, their existence, besides being contrary to the terms of 

 the Declaration of His Majesty King George, would certainly lead to 

 disputes. It is my duty to draw your attention to this. 



This question of factories at Port-a-Port leads me to mention the 

 Decree made by the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Fenelon, a Decree pro- 

 hibiting lobster fishing for three years at Rocky Harbour. 



