484 MISCELLANEOUS 



set up by the United States Government are acquiesced in, the latter 

 condition of things will be worse than the first. 



Against any recognition of such claims the Committee of Council 

 respectfully and earnestly protest, and they can not be consenting 

 parties to any relaxation of the statute laws of the colony in favor of 

 American citizens who come to the treaty coast to exercise in common 

 with the subjects of His Majesty a right of fishery. 



They would strongly deprecate any provisional arrangement, such 

 as is suggested by His Majesty's Government in the despatch under 

 reference, which would relieve American citizens of a proper recogni- 

 tion of these statute laws. It is submitted that the interests of the 

 Empire, and not those of Newfoundland alone, require that the right 

 of sovereignty within its own dominion should be maintained invio- 

 late, and the committee of council can not accept the view that any 

 foreign power has a status or consultative claim in the matter of the 

 framing, or adoption, or the carrying out of laws for the government 

 of any portion of this colony. 



The quotation from the speech of the premier of this colony, con- 

 tained in Mr. Hoot's communication to Mr. Whitelaw Reid, of date 

 30th June, 1906, is wrongfully applied, and this will be immediately 

 apparent to His Majesty's Government on a perusal of the said 

 speech. Up to the date of the approval of the bill therein referred 

 to, American fishermen, by the courtesy of this government, were 

 permitted to freely purchase bait supplies all round the coast of this 

 colony. This was a privilege gratuitously extended to them for 

 fifteen years, dating from the signing of what is known as the Blaine- 

 Bond Convention of 1890. 



The premier's remarks had reference only to the determination of 

 the government of this colony to terminate that privilege and to 

 confine American fishermen to such rights as they possessed under the 

 Convention of 1818. 



It is observed that the closing paragraph of Mr. Root's communi- 

 cation aforesaid has reference to the foreign fishing vessels act of 

 1905. 



At the instance of His Majesty's Government that act was amended 

 during the present year, and in order that there shall be no misun- 

 derstanding as regards the intention of the legislature of the colony, 

 and to prevent such a complaint as that contained in Mr. Phelps' 

 despatch to Lord Rosebery of date 2nd June, 1886, that restrictions 

 were about to be enforced without notice, the Committee of Council 

 would advise that a proclamation do issue bringing into operation 

 the Foreign Fishing Vessels Act of 1906. 



They believe that its early issue will operate as a deterrent and pre- 

 vent the necessity for that interference by officials of this government 

 that the United States Government evidently anticipate." 



His excellency the governor most promptly advised the Secretary 

 of State for the Colonies of the receipt of this Minute, and intimated 

 that a copy would be forwarded at the earliest opportunity. 



On the 17th of August his excellency the governor received a cable- 

 gram requesting a summary of the Minute, and this was forwarded 

 by his excellency, as will appear on reference to the correspondence, 

 on the 19th of August. 



It will be observed, then, that no unreasonable delay occurred in 

 formulating a reply to the Secretary of State's despatch of the 8th 

 August or in transmitting it. 



