SPEECHES OF SIR ROBERT BOND, PREMIER OF NEWFOUND- 

 LAND, AND REPLIES OF HONORABLE A. B. MORINE, OPPOSI- 

 TION LEADER, AND M. P. CASHIN, M. H. A. 



THE PREMIER'S SPEECH ON SECOND READING OF FOREIGN FISHING VESSELS BILL, 



APRIL 7, 1905. [] 



The Right Honorable the PREMIER (Sir Robert Bond). Mr. 

 Speaker, when moving the first reading of this bill on Wednesday 

 last, in reply to a question put by the leader of the opposition, I stated 

 that the object of the measure is to inform foreign fishermen that they 

 are no longer entitled to enter within the three-mile limit for any 

 purpose whatever, except as provided by treaty with His Majesty's 

 Government. 



Under the foreign fishing vessels act of 1893, which this bill is 

 intended to repeal, the governor in council was authorized to issue 

 licenses to foreign fishing vessels, enabling them to enter any port on 

 the coasts of this colony to purchase bait, ice, supplies, and outfits for 

 the fishery and to ship crews. 



Authority was conveyed to foreign fishing vessels to enter any port 

 of entry for the purpose of applying for such license, and power was 

 given to the governor in council to make rules and regulations re- 

 specting the terms and conditions under which such licenses should 

 issue. 



It is proposed to repeal the whole act of 1893, but certain sections 

 of that act are embodied in this bill. For instance, sections 2 and 3 

 of that act are combined in section 1 of this bill, excepting that ref- 

 erence to the issue of licenses is omitted. Section 2 of this bill is 

 practically the same as section 4 of the act of 1893. Section 3 is the 

 same as section 5 of the old act, omitting reference to licenses. Sec- 

 tion 4 of this bill is the same as section 6 of the 1893 act; section 5 is 

 the same as section 7 of that act ; section 6 is the same as section 8 of 

 that act ; section 7 is the same as section 9 of that act ; and section 8 is 

 the same as section 11 of the 1893 act. It may be contended that 

 under acts which relate to our fisheries there is sufficient power to do 

 all that is contemplated by this bill. My reply to that would be that 

 the government is advised that the measure now before the House is 

 desirable. It is desirable that the policy of the government in respect 

 to foreign fishing vessels should be made perfectly clear and un- 

 mistakable. 



That policy is not to grant licenses to such vessels, enabling them 

 to enter any of the ports of this colony and purchase bait, ice, sup- 

 plies, and outfits for the fishery, and to ship crews, under existing 

 circumstances. This being the policy of the government, the reten- 

 tion on our statute book of the foreign fishing vessels act of 1893 

 would be misleading and might prove vexatious. 



[ British Blue Book, U. S. No. 1 (190G), p. 53.] 



411 



