1458 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



the persons who are entrusted with it ; but the light is very bad, and 

 cannot, I should think, be seen far enough, as it consists only of lamps 

 with eight common cotton wicks in each, without any reflectors. There 

 is no register kept at the light-house of the American fishing-vessels 

 which enter the Gulf of Saint Lawrence that can be depended upon, as 

 many pass in the night, and the greater number of those which go to the 

 Labrador go round Cape North ; but from the best accounts which I 

 could get there have been from 1,601) to 1,700 in the gulf this year, with 

 crews averaging from seven to ten men. They nearly monopolize the 

 Labrador coast, and have the greater part of the B^adelle and Orphan 

 Banks. From Canso I proceeded round (Jape Breton, the winds being 

 always westerly, to the Magdalen Islands, calling at Sydney on the way. 

 At the Magdalen Islands I heard great complaints that the French and 

 American fishermen had taken all the best fish away this year, very 

 much to the prejudice of the revenue, although to the advantage of the 

 lawless inhabitants, who thereby receive French and American goods 

 without paying any duty, as the subcollector has no power of enforcing 

 his demands, which are openly set at defiance, and his own life threat- 

 ened, whenever he attempts to execute his duty. The civil law in these 

 islands is in perfect abeyance, as there is only one magistrate whose 

 authority is doubtful, as he has, since receiving his warrant, changed 

 his religion to the Roman Catholic, and has been suspended. The only 

 remedy that I can see for these evils would be the having a small armed 

 vessel frequently to visit the islands during the summer. Nearly 400 

 Americans have dried their fish on the Magdalen Islands this year, 

 paying 10 per cent, to the inhabitants, chiefly in goods, without duty ; 

 and an American man-of-war schooner anchored in the roadstead for 

 two or three days, for the purpose of inspecting their fishermen. I 

 learnt here that the fishing season is entirely over on the 28th Septem- 

 ber, that being the day to which all the fishermen are hired, and none 

 continuing above a week after it. I therefore intended to have gone to 

 Pictou from the islands, but meeting with strong contrary winds and 

 currents, I went to Autigonish, where the court was sitting, and from 

 thence to Port Hood, from whence, after remaining a few days, and 

 finding the season was too far advanced for it to be useful or prudent 

 for me to remain longer in the gulf, 1 went to Pictou for letters and 

 came direct thence to this place. 

 I have, &c., 



W. P. CANNING. 

 Hear- Admiral Sir C. OGLE, Bart. 



No. 3. 



TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. 



.The joint address of Your Majesty's Council and House of Assembly 

 for the Provinces of Nova Scotia, now in General Assembly con- 

 vened. 



May it please Your Majesty: 



We, Your Majesty's Council and House of Assembly of this, Your 

 Majesty's loyal Province of Nova Scotia, now convened in general as- 

 sembly, beg leave most respectfully to submit to the consideration of 



