MISCELLANEOUS. 1057 



quintals codfish, whilst Your Majesty's subjects all over this Island, 

 have not taken more than one million quintals. The number of French 

 fishermen annually employed in these fisheries already amounts to 

 nearly 20,000 ; and we feel assured that unless Your Majesty's Gov- 

 ernment will interpose for our protection the most valuable of the 

 British Fisheries of Newfoundland, those on the Western shores, 

 will speedily become lost to your Majesty's subjects, and pass into the 

 hands of the people of France. 



An apparatus for screwing fish preparatory to its shipment for the 

 South American and West Indian markets has been recently estab- 

 lished at St. Pierre, and during the last year your Majesty's subjects 

 have had to compete in Brazil, in the West Indies, and in Portugal 

 with French made fish, caught by British bait. 



The Legislature of this Colony, in the year 1836, attempted to 

 arrest, by local enactment, the destructive progress of this illicit 

 trade, but without success. The commanders of your Majesty's ships 

 of war, who from time to time have cruised along our coasts, have 

 successively represented the urgent necessity that exists for the estab- 

 lishment of sufficient protection to our fisheries on the Western shore. 



The Revenues of the Colony are wholly insufficient for such a pur- 

 pose, but even were that not so, the service appears to participate 

 more of an Imperial than of a local character. 



The presence, during the summer months, of two small armed 

 sailing vessels, or of a steam vessel, would alone suffice for so impor* 

 tant a service ; and we earnestly hope that when your Majesty recol- 

 lects that the evils which oppress us arise from causes over which we 

 have no control, it will not be deemed unreasonable in us to crave 

 from the Parent state assistance in those difficulties which the policy 

 of the parent state occasioned. 



We know that your Majesty cannot directly prevent the French 

 Government increasing their fisheries in Newfoundland, neither do 

 we ask or expect that your Majesty will grant to your Majesty's sub- 

 jects a bounty similar to that which so effectually stimulates and 

 invigorates the subjects of France and the citizens of the United 

 States to prosecute the cod fisheries of Newfoundland; but we look 

 with confidence to the maternal solicitude of your most gracious 

 Majesty for that protection in our rights which can only come from 

 the Imperial Government. 



We beg to remark that in the year after the treaty and declara- 

 tion of Versailles in 1783, an Act was passed by the Parliament of 

 England, in the 26th year of the reign of your Majesty's august 

 predecessor of blessed memory, King George the Third, absolutely 

 prohibiting any of your Majesty's subjects in Newfoundland from 

 selling to foreigners any bait whatsoever. All we now most duti- 

 fully ask of your Majesty is such assistance as may be necessary to 

 carry the said enactment into practical operation. The mode in 

 which that assistance may be accorded we submit to the wisdom of 

 your Majesty, confident that the prosperity of this colony will 

 engage your most gracious Majesty's solicitude, and that such meas- 

 ures will be adopted by your Majesty's Government as will secure 

 to your Majesty's loyal subjects in Newfoundland that protection 

 which none living under the benign though vigorous sway of the 

 British sceptre, ask in vain. 



92909 S. Doc. 870, 61-3, vol 3 28 



