BRITISH, COLONIAL AND OTHEE CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 573 



Newfoundland more than they had a right to by treaty; and their 

 authority being founded only on an old map of Hermann Moll, was 

 shown, with great accuracy, by the Board of Trade, to be altogether 

 inadmissible. The coast of Labrador was in 1763 separated from 

 Canada, and annexed to the government of Newfoundland. This 

 was a very judicious measure; but, as the chief object of those who 

 at that time frequented Labrador, was the seal-fishery, the Board of 

 Trade, at the recommendation principally of Sir Hugh Palliser, con- 

 sidered it unwise policy to separate Labrador from the jurisdiction 

 of Canada; and accordingly recommended his majesty to re-annex 

 it. This was effected in 1774, and in the following year an act 6 

 was passed, the spirit of which was to defend and support the ship 

 fishery carried on from England. 



Its principal regulations were, that the privilege of drying fish on 

 the shores should be limited to his majesty's subjects arriving at 

 Newfoundland from Great Britain and Ireland, or any of the British 

 dominions in Europe. This law set at rest all that had been agitated 

 m favour of the resident colonists. 



It must, at the same time, be acknowledged, that its provisions for 

 upholding the ship fishery, for the purpose of making it a nursery 

 for training seamen, were wise and judicious; and making the fish 

 and oil liable for the payment of wages due to the people employed 

 in and about the fisheries, was a very proper regulation. It extended, 

 also, a bounty to the Newfoundland bank fishing; and British ships 

 might by it occupy any part of the coasts of Labrador, as well New- 

 foundland, and they were not to be under any constraint as to days 

 or hours of working. 



L'Abbe Kaynal observes, " that the English fishing admirals car- 

 ried their insolence and superiority so far at this time, as to forbid 

 the French fishermen to fish for cod on Sunday, upon the pretence 

 that their own abstained from catching on that day." 



The American revolutionary war, during its continuance, affected 

 in a very injurious degree, the affairs of Newfoundland. A bill was 

 passed in Parliament, prohibiting the people of New England from 

 fishing at Newfoundland. This measure was loudly and strongly 

 opposed by the merchants of London. The reasons alleged by min- 

 isters were, " that as the colonies had entered into an agreement not 

 to trade with Britain, we were entitled to prevent them trading 

 with any other country. Their charter restricted them to the Act of 

 Navigation; the relaxations from it were favours to which, by their 

 disobedience, they had no farther interest." 



" The Newfoundland fisheries were the ancient property of Great 

 Britain, and disposable, therefore, at her will and discretion; it was 

 no more than just to deprive rebels of them." To this it was con- 

 tended, that it was beneath the character of a civilized people to 

 molest poor fishermen, or to deprive the wretched inhabitants of a 

 sea-coast of their food ; and that the fisheries being also the medium 

 through which they settled their accounts with Britain, the cutting 

 them off from this resource would only tend to put a stop to their 

 remittances to England. 



14 Geo. Ill, cap. 83, commonly called the Quebec Act 

 15 Geo. Ill, cap. 31. 

 o 15 Geo. Ill, cap. 10. 



