BRITISH, COLONIAL AND OTHER -CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 381 



privileges are which this Colony grants them, and how easily they 

 can do without us. 



That these American vessels have been securing large quantities of 

 bait from freezers in Canadian ports, which are stocked with herring 

 taken around Magdalene Islands and Nova Scotia coasts to use for 

 their spring supply. 



That the only result of the Government policy being to deprive our 

 Newfoundland fishermen of this bait traffic and to turn it into the 

 hands of the Canadians. 



That as a result of the facilities granted them by Canada in her 

 maritime provinces between 250 to 300 sail of American vessels visit 

 provincial waters every year pay about three times as much in license 

 fees as Newfoundland ever received, spend corresponding sums in the 

 purchase of bait, ice, and supplies. 



That this traffic has become so profitable to the people of these Nova 

 Scotia ports that they are advocating the abolishing of the licence 

 fees altogether, and allowing free entry to the American fishermen, 

 without any restrictions, for the sake of the trade they bring. 



That your petitioners believe that the best interests of the people 

 of this district and the Colony in general would be served more by 

 abandoning the present policy and returning to that enforced up to 

 1904. And that your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that this 

 Legislature in its wisdom will terminate the present policy of hos- 

 tility towards the American fishermen, and return to that under 

 which the people of this district and other districts of the Colony 

 were able to earn food for their families by carrying on legitimate 

 traffic with the Americans, instead of being, as they are now, obliged 

 to emigrate to foreign lands to obtain a livelihood denied them at 

 home. 



And your petitioners as in duty bound will every pray. 



(About 1,000 signatures.) 



Governor MacGregor to Lord Elgin. 



GOVERNMENT HOUSE, ST. JOHNS, March 4, 1907. 



(Received March 25. 1907.) 



MY LORD: I have the honour to enclose, for your information, an 

 extract from The Evening Telegram of this city, of the issue of the 

 2nd instant, containing a remarkable letter from His Grace Arch- 

 bishop Howley, in which that prelate seems to advise that Newfound- 

 land should regard the 1818 Treaty between Great Britain and the 

 United States as no longer binding; and that "England must be 

 asked to relieve us of this burdensome Treaty as she did that of the 

 French. Let her settle it as she may with America." 



His Grace, it will be observed, seems to be under the impression that 

 the Treaty expires by effluxipn of time, for he says " Britain dare not 

 renew the Treaty of 1818 without running the risk "of the disruption 

 of the Empire. The sooner Americans recognise and take heed of this 

 great fact the better." 



2. I need hardly say that such language from such a source in a 

 community where every fourth man cannot read, is ill calculated to 



