504 MISCELLANEOUS 



not be attained by diplomatic negotiation, then His Majesty's Gov- 

 ernment will proceed on a strict definition of the Treaty of 1818. 



SPEECH OF M. P. CASHIN, M. H. A., ON THE MODUS VIVENDI, DELIVERED IN 

 THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, FEBRUARY 14TH, 1907. 



[Extract from the St. John's (Newfoundland) Dally News, February 27, 1907.] 



Mr. CASHIN. Before entering on the discussion of the question be- 

 fore the chair, he thought it his duty as leader of third party to wel- 

 come to its ranks Mr. Blandford, one of the members for Bona vista. 

 Quite suddenly during this afternoon Mr. Blandford had joined his 

 banner, and he was glad to welcome him. Dr. Lloyd, one of the 

 members for Trinity, in his speech to-day proclaimed himself the 

 only Englishman within these walls. Mr. Cashin was just as proud 

 to proclaim himself the descendant of an Irishman, and as for the 

 recent recruit to his party he judged from his spirited action and 

 manly stand that he must be a countryman of his own. When the 

 people of Bonavista sent Mr. Blandford to this house they thought 

 him worthy to represent them here and he had asserted his independ- 

 ence even though he was going to vote for this measure, because in so 

 doing he would vote according to his conscience. He, Mr. Cashin, 

 from equally conscientious convictions, rose for the purpose of oppos- 

 ing the measure and hoped he would not stir Mr. Blandford's Irish 

 blood by so doing. He, Mr. Cashin, had watched this particular 

 measure since it came down to the house, and had wondered to him- 

 self what it was all about, and why such an outcry was made regard- 

 ing it. He had seen the Government papers from day to day, prior 

 to the opening of the house, intimating that something was going to 

 happen, and that the Premier was going to talk for several hours on 

 a situation never equalled in our history. But all that advertising 

 for the past week had not the least effect on the electors of St. John's 

 East and West, and did not bring even a corporal's guard to the 

 gatherings for the Premier's promised big speech. He, Mr. Cashin, 

 had his mind made up as to the wisest course to take in the matter in 

 the interests of the Colony in general, and of the inhabitants of the 

 district of Ferryland in particular. During this afternoon he had 

 presented a petition signed by over a thousand fishermen of that dis- 

 trict, praying for the abandonment by the Government of its hostile 

 attitude against the Americans, and pointing out that the only suf- 

 ferers so far by the attempt to injure the American fishermen were 

 the people of the Southern districts of this Island, who added largely 

 to their annual earnings by selling bait and shipping to the Ameri- 

 cans. That petition set out that none of the promised benefits which 

 the Government declared would follow the exclusion of the Americans 

 had come to pass. 



The people who were the sufferers by this policy had obtained no 

 compensating advantages and the Americans had not been hurt, so 

 that there was really no sense in keeping up this fishery warfare 

 from season to season and injuring the country's best interest. He, 

 Mr. Cashin, felt as the people of St. John's East and West felt, that 

 all the trouble with which we were now faced, and regarding which 

 the Government were making such a howl, had been brought about 

 by the unwise policy of the Government themselves as he would 



