ARGUMENT OF SIR WILLIAM ROBSON. 1877 



THE PRESIDENT: Where is that? 



SIR W. ROBSON : At the top of p. 291 of the United States Case 

 Appendix. On p. 290. we have made our offer of this little piece 

 of coast we are concerned with now", and we attach to that as a con- 

 dition that " all pretensions to fish or dry within the maritime limits, 

 or on any other of the coasts of British North America, should be 

 abandoned." 



JUDGE GRAY: May I ask, for my information: What do you sup- 

 pose is meant by 



" or on any other of the coasts of British North America," 



after abandoning all pretensions to fish or dry within the maritime 



limits? 



SIR W. ROBSON: It is a little puzzling why they should have 

 troubled to add that ; but it is rather in my favour. 



JUDGE GRAY : It was not with reference to any significance one way 

 or the other that I mentioned it. I did not understand why that 

 was inserted. 



SIR W. ROBSON : They say " maritime limits." What does that 

 mean? Apparently it is being used there as though it were equiva- 

 lent to maritime jurisdiction. That would include bays. 



JUDGE GRAY: Sir Charles suggests that they enumerate the grant 

 at the beginning of the paragraph, and then repeat the same language 

 afterwards. 



SIR W. ROBSON: Oh, yes. I think I had better read the whole 

 paragraph : 



" It being the object of the American Government, that, in addi- 

 tion to the right of fishery, as declared by the first branch of the 

 fourth article of the treaty of 1783 permanently to belong to the citi- 

 zens of the United States, they should also enjoy the privilege of hav- 

 ing an adequate accommodation, both in point of harbors and drying 

 ground, on the unsettled coasts within the British sovereignty, I had 

 the honor to propose to you that that part of the southern coast of 

 Labrador which extends from Mount Joli, opposite the eastern end 

 of the island of Anticosti, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to the bay 

 and isles of Esquimaux, near the western entrance of the straits of 

 Belleisle, should be allotted for this purpose," 



Then follow- some words that I certainly should have read 



" it being distinctly agreed " 



As a part of the contract 



" that the fishermen should confine themselves to the unsettled parts 

 of the coast, and that all pretensions to fish or dry within the mari- 

 time limits, or on any other of the coasts of British North America, 

 should be abandoned." 



So that it is to be part of the contract. And the parties begin to 

 negotiate with an agreement that this liberty over part of the terri- 



