406 MISCELLANEOUS 



eminent. This is an appeal to the prejudices of the people, to the 

 disloyal elements of the community. It is not even Jingoism" 

 (added Sir James) , " for Jingoism is really patriotism. But it has 

 had no response in the Colony whatever. Newfoundlanders will 

 withhold their support from any policy that is calculated to bring 

 the Colony into unpleasant relations with the Mother Country. 

 We pride ourselves on our loyalty. As soon as the people of New- 

 foundland understand that this policy might involve them in diffi- 

 culties with the Mother Country or with other parts of the Empire 

 then I am sure they will oppose it. We have sufficient faith in any 

 Imperial Government whether Liberal or Conservative, to assume 

 that it will do its very best in the interests of the Colony, and if the 

 interests of the Colony clash with foreign countries it will in a bona 

 fide manner assert the rights of the Colony. So we believe, until the 

 contrary appears, and, in our opinion, so far it has not appeared." 



A PLEA FOB AMERICA. 



" Now, the Americans in this case were not the first offenders. They 

 would not have set up these claims under the Treaty, which are os- 

 tensibly the cause of the trouble, if Sir Robert Bond had not inter- 

 fered Avith the herring business ; in other words, if the American fish- 

 ermen had been allowed to continue to buy our herring. The Bait Act 

 was applied only this year. The Premier's first weapon was the For- 

 eign Fishing Vessels Act. which prohibited our fishermen from be- 

 ing engaged by Americans to fish for them. The first piece of legis- 

 lation being found insufficient, he has resorted to the Bait Act. which, 

 however, he can use only against our own fishermen, as the Ameri- 

 cans would dispute the jurisdiction of our Courts." 



ANOTHER MISSTATEMENT. 



" There is another misstatement which has found currency. It i? 

 that the Supreme Court of the Colony has decided against the Im- 

 perial Government on the question of the modus vivendi. That state- 

 ment is entirely untrue. The modus vivendi was not brought before 

 the Court at all, although, if it had been pleaded, I do not know what 

 decision would have been given. The point at issue could have been 

 tried against any fisherman in any part of the Colony, whether he 

 was on board an American vessel or not. The exact point was upon 

 the construction of our own Statute, and the men were sentenced for 

 an act which has never been treated by any Government or prosecu- 

 tor as an offence. It was simply a question of putting herring on 

 board without a licence. It is entirely incorrect to say that the 

 Americans made this a test case or that they defended the prisoners. 



" Canada," concluded Sir James, " is against this policy, for the 

 simple reason that it is opposed to Canadian interests, as reciprocity 

 with the United States would be injurious to Canadian trade. The 

 policy of Sir Robert Bond is aimed over the heads of the United 

 States at Canada. In the event of reciprocity Newfoundland would 

 have a preference over Canada in American markets, and the Ameri- 

 cans would be able to drive out Canadian agricultural produce from 

 the Newfoundland markets. But surely this is a mistaken, policy 

 at least from the standpoint of those who desire to promote har- 

 monious relations between Newfoundland and Canada." 



