PERIOD EltOM 1871 TO 1U05. 677 



From the short experience that I had of Cooper, who is an immense 

 man, very outspoken and honest, with a great fund of humour, I feel 

 convinced that his statement is substantially correct ; his story is also 

 confirmed, almost word for word, in all important points, by Ryan's 

 own deposition taken before me, and by the evidence of other wit- 

 nesses. 



Knowing that the Government were most anxious to protect the 

 rights of the fishermen of the United States under the Washington 

 Treaty, I took special pains to obtain accurate information respecting 

 the obstruction complained of by Consul Molloy ; and I am happy to 

 inform the Government that in this instance, at all events, there is no 

 cause of complaint against our fishermen. 



Ryan, who is favourably disposed towards the Americans, shows 

 in his evidence the wisdom of the law against seining squid, and 

 his opinion will be confirmed by every fisherman in the colony. 



I have to thank Lieutenant Clutterbuck, R. N., commanding Her 

 Majesty's ship "Zephyr" and his officers, for extreme courtesy and 

 kindness, and for the ready assistance given me in carrying out the 

 object of my mission. 

 I have, &c., 



(Signed) D. W. PROWSE. 



Governor Sir J. Glover to Sir M. Hicks Beach. 



GOVERNMENT HOUSE, 

 Newfoundland, August 28, 1879. 



SIR : I have the honour to inclose, for your information, copy of a 

 letter from the United States' Consul at this port, dated the 23rd 

 instant, putting forward a complaint that opposition had been offered 

 by our fishermen to the crew of the American schooner Howard 

 Holbrook, when attempting to seine for squid at Smith's Sound, in 

 Trinity Bay. 



2. This appearing to be a repetition of the interruption which 

 occurred in Fortune Bay in 1878, I at once applied to the Senior 

 Naval Officer for the service of one of Her Majesty's ships of war to 

 convey to the spot a legal officer charged with the duty of inquiring 

 into the correctness of the statements put forward to sustain the case 

 which I conclude would, if supported by evidence, have been followed 

 by the United States' Government submitting a claim for compensa- 

 tion. 



3. The Senior Naval Officer, complying with my request, dis- 

 patched Her Majesty's ship Zephyr to Smith's Sound, and on her 

 return I was furnished with the inclosed Report of Judge Prowse, 

 the legal officer deputed by my Government to conduct the inquiry, 

 which proves most fully, by sworn evidence, that the whole charge 

 against our fishermen was frivolous, and void of all sustainment. 



4. It will be seen from the evidence inclosed that the question 

 involved is, whether our local laws for the protection of a fishery 

 common to two Contracting Parties, but passed subsequent to the 

 date of the Treaty, are binding on the one party who have not 



