444 MISCELLANEOUS 



on the west coast of this island under false pretenses, namely, as 

 being required for food purposes and not for bait. Mr. O'Reilly has 

 informed me that a Mr. Whitney, of Canso, had told him of his 

 intention in this regard. I have only to say that if Canadians per- 

 sist in violating the laws of this colony a remedy will have to be pro- 

 vided by this legislature. It may only be necessary for the govern- 

 ment of this colony to bring the matter to the notice of the govern- 

 ment of the Dominion. This I propose to do, but failing in an 

 acquiescense on the part of that government in the reasonable demand 

 that will be made in the premises, the legislature will be called upon 

 to devise some means of preventing a violation of not only the spirit 

 but also of the letter of the law. 



I have reason to know that the great majority of the people of this 

 colony are in favor of the restrictions that are about to be imposed by 

 this bill, and, therefore, to suppose that any of these people will aid 

 or abet the Americans in the herring industry is not to be anticipated. 

 The people being in sympathy with this legislation, that is framed on 

 purpose to protect them in their rights, are prepared to uphold the 

 hands of the government and to assist them in making this act 

 effective. 



The honorable leader of the opposition stated that he would support 

 this bill if it was a permanent measure, but as it was intended to be 

 only temporary in its application he would not support it. The hon- 

 orable gentleman is certainly illogical in this connection, for if the 

 bill is " wrong in principle, illegal, unenforceable, and based entirely 

 on a misconception of treaty rights," as he has alleged, then the mere 

 changing it from a temporary to a permanent measure could not 

 make it right. If there is force in these objections to a temporary 

 bill, they apply with equal force to a permanent one. The fact of its 

 being of a temporary nature did not alter the principle involved, and, 

 if the principle was right, it could not be affected by either the cur- 

 tailment or extension of the period in which the act was to be applied. 



Again, the honorable gentleman has said " the passage of this bill 

 will close the last page in the negotiations for a treaty with the 

 United States, and the present treaty will never come before the 

 Senate again." Does he not recognize that in those supposed facts he 

 has put forward a guaranty of the permanency of this bill ? For, so 

 long as the American markets are closed to our fishery products, so 

 long will this measure remain in force. If the leader of the opposition 

 desires the permanency of the bill, and verily believes, as he alleges, 

 that this temporary measure will kill all chance of reciprocity, then 

 the logical course for him to adopt would be to support this bill. 



One of the most remarkable statements made by the leader of the 

 opposition was that the French and Americans would probably come 

 to an understanding in relation to this measure, and that St. Pierre 

 would be handed over by France to the United States to form a depot 

 for the storing and supply of bait fishes. This flight of imagination 

 was worthy to rank with the brilliant imagery of Jules Verne. I can not 

 imagine any member of this House seriously putting forward such a 

 position that His Majesty's Government would permit the island of St. 

 Pierre to pass into the hands of the Americans as a bait depot, or 

 for any other purpose. When the island of St. Pierre was ceded to 

 the Government of France by that of Great Britain, it was ceded 



