1342 NORTH ATLANTIC COAST FISHERIES ARBITRATION. 



shall at any time hereafter take any bait, or use any sort of 

 trade or fishing whatsoever in Newfoundland, or in any of the said 

 islands or places abovementioned." 



Various provisions are made in that statute for the encouragement 

 of fishermen. 



The other statute to which I wish to refer is the statute of 1775, 

 on p. 543 of the same volume, and the section that I refer to is section 

 12, to be found at p. 546 : 



" 'And whereas it has been a Practice of late Years for divers 

 Persons to seduce the Fishermen, Sailors, Artificers, and others, 

 employed in carrying on the Fishery, arriving at Newfoundland, on 



Board Fishing and other Vessels from Great Britain, and the 

 810 British Dominions in Europe, to go from thence to the Conti- 



nent of America, to the great Detriment of the Fishery and 

 the Naval Force of this Kingdom : ' Now, in order to remedy the 

 said Evil, and to secure the Return of the said Fishermen, Sailors, 

 Artificers, and others, employed as aforesaid, to the British Domin- 

 ions in Europe, be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, 

 That from and after the first day of January, one thousand seven 

 hundred and seventy-six, it shall not be lawful for the Master, or 

 Person having the Charge or Command of any Ship or Vessel trad- 

 ing to or from any place within the Government of Newfoundland, 

 to carry or convey, as Passengers, any such Fishermen, Sailors, 

 Artificers, and others, employed as aforesaid, from thence to any 

 part of the Continent of America, without the Permission under the 

 Hand and Seal of the Governor of the said Island of Newfoundland, 

 under the Penalty of forfeiting two hundred Pounds for every such 

 Offence." 



It will be seen that the method employed there of conserving the 

 fishermen was to make it penal to carry or convey them as passen- 

 gers away from Newfoundland to the continent of America. 



The third statute is that of 1786, which is to be found at p. 555 of 

 the same volume. It was designed for the purpose of strengthening 

 the operation of the clause that I have just read. It recites the sec- 

 tion (at p. 558) : 



"'And whereas it is essential to the naval strength of Great 

 Britain, that the desertion of seamen and fishermen employed in the 

 fishery of Newfoundland, and the parts adjacent, should be pre- 

 vented : And whereas, by reason of their superior skill as seamen and 

 fishermen, and as artificers of the implements and utensils necessary 

 to the carrying on of such fisheries, they are, by great temptations, 

 exposed to be seduced into the service and employ of the subjects of 

 foreign States : ' " - 



very much the point that we have to deal with here. 



"And whereas the regulations and provisions made in and by an Act, 

 passed in the fifteenth year of His present Majesty's reign, herein be- 

 fore mentioned" - 



That is the statute I have just been reading, 



