616 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



sioners for the British fisheries brought the question before 

 the Board of Trade, and they were advised to enforce the 

 boundary laid down in the Anglo-French convention with 

 respect to Belgian and all other foreign boats also. 1 Against 

 this procedure strong remonstrances were made by the Belgian 

 fishermen, and these were followed by representations from 

 the Belgian Government. The Fishery Commissioners, who 

 were anxious that the law in regard to foreigners fishing 

 011 our coasts should be made clear, continued to press the 

 matter. The Belgian fishermen then produced to the naval 

 superintendent a copy of the charter that had been granted 

 by King Charles II., in 1666, to the citizens of Bruges, 2 

 under which they claimed equal privileges with British subjects. 

 That charter appears to have been generally regarded as 

 fictitious; but, acting on the advice of the Queen's Advocate, 

 the Board of Trade directed that for the ensuing season 

 of 1851 Belgians should be allowed to fish on the same 

 system as before, but that afterwards this liberty should 

 cease, except in the case of such as had been able to prove 

 special privileges under the asserted charter in the English 

 courts of law. The dispute was settled by a convention 

 between Great Britain and Belgium in 1852, in which, with- 

 out mention of any specified limit, it was stipulated that 



1 The Board pointed out that the fishermen of other foreign countries were not 

 disposed to observe the limits laid down in the Anglo-French convention, speci- 

 fying Dutch as well as Belgians, and that the naval superintendents were perplexed 

 from the want of fixed instructions on this point. The letter from the Board of 

 Trade was as follows (Report of the Commissioners for the year ended 5th January 

 1849) : 



"OFFICE OF COMMITTEE OF PRIVY-COUXCIL FOR TRADE, 

 "WHITEHALL, litfi September 1848. 



" SIR, With reference to your letter of 4th ultimo, requesting, on the part of 

 the Commissioners of British Fisheries, to know whether Foreign Fishermen are 

 permitted to fish within three miles of the Shore ; I am directed by the Lords of 

 the Committee of Privy-Council for Trade, to inform you, that it is the opinion of 

 this Board, that no such permission is recognised by the British Government, and 

 accordingly, that it is the duty of the Superintendents of British Fisheries, to warn 

 Dutch, Belgian, or any other Foreigners, as well as French Fishermen, to keep out- 

 side of the limits above mentioned. I am, sir, your obedient servant, 



(Sd.) DENIS LE MARCHANT. 



The Honourable B. F. PRIMROSE, Secretary, 

 Board of Fisheries, Edinburgh. 



2 See p. 461. 



