984 NORTH ATLANTIC COAST FISHERIES ARBITRATION. 



paper, containing some remarks on the articles handed to them at 

 the conference yesterday. They are to be considered as unofficial, 

 according to the intimation given yesterday, when they were prom- 

 ised, and have been drawn up merely under the hope that, by pos- 

 sessing the British Plenipotentiaries of some of the views of the 

 American plenipotentiaries before the next meeting on the 9th, the 

 progress of the negotiation may be accelerated." 



Up to this time it appears they had not disclosed their ultimatum 

 or instruction. Then they go on : 



" The American plenipotentiaries are not authorized by their 

 instructions to assent to any article on that subject which shall not 

 secure to the inhabitants of the United States the liberty of taking 

 fish of every kind on the southern coast of Newfoundland, from Cape 

 Ray to the Ramea Islands, and on the coasts, bays, harbors and 

 creeks from Mount Joli, on the southern coast of Labrador, to and 

 through the Straits of Belleisle and thence northwardly, indefinitely, 

 along the coast ; and also, the liberty of drying and curing fish in any 

 of the unsettled bays, harbors, and creeks of Labrador and of the 

 southern coast of Newfoundland, as above described; with the 

 proviso respecting such of the said bays, harbors, and creeks as may 

 be settled." 



It would appear that even then, having submitted what was their 

 ultimatum as it were, they had no instruction and no power to agree 

 to any article that did not contain this stipulation, and that there- 

 fore would be indicated as being their proposal, what they would 

 take, and even from that they omitted the west coast of Newfoundland. 

 The west coast of Newfoundland does not appear in any of these 

 proposals upon either one side or the other up to this time. 



The result of these negotiations then appears in the treaty itself. 

 We have nothing to throw any light upon what further passed be- 

 tween the parties until the treaty itself is agreed to, as will be found 

 upon p. 30, and there, for the first time, in black and white, does it 

 appear that the west coast of Newfoundland is, as it were, thrown 

 in ; and the reason why it was done, or how it came to be done, does 

 not appear anyAvhere. It does not appear to have been a subject of 

 discussion, of negotiation, or of consideration, between the parties at 

 all. It appears not even to have been referred to in the corre- 

 spondence or negotiations that I have read ; and so far there is no 

 explanation of it, except that it was just thrown in, in a sort of gen- 

 eral way, after the other terms had been agreed upon a sort of free 

 gift on the part of the British Plenipotentiaries, the gift of a thing 

 to which neither party attached the slightest value or importance 

 at that time. And, particularly also for the reason, as will I think 

 be manifest, that over that part of the coast the French had the 

 right of drying and curing fish on the shores. So far then as dry- 

 ing and curing on the shores was concerned, it was impossible to 

 give it to them, because it would be interfering with the French; 



