MISCELLANEOUS. 1175 



years succeeding the close of the war with France, which immediately 

 preceded our Revolution, we proceed to notice such events as our 

 limited space will allow: 



The first of these is the proclamation of the King, in 1763, in which 

 it is stated that, "to the end that the open and free fishery of our 

 subjects may be extended to and carried on upon the coast of Labra- 

 dor and the adjacent islands, we have thought fit, with the advice of 

 our privy council, to put all that coast, from the river St. John to 

 Hudson's straits, together with the islands of Anticosti and Madalene, 

 and all other islands lying upon the said coast, under the care and 

 inspection of our governor of Newfoundland," while "the islands of 

 St. John, Cape Breton, or Isle Royale, with the lesser islands adjacent 

 thereto," were annexed to "the government of Nova Scotia." 



The general affairs of Newfoundland were considered at about the 

 same time. Though no plan was devised for the government of the 

 colony, such as was due by England to herself and to humanity, the 

 resolution was still adopted to discontinue all further attempts to 

 check the resident fishermen. The task had become, indeed, hope- 

 less. The tonnage of the merchants' ships had fallen to less than 

 eighteen thousand, and their catch to one hundred and thirty-six 

 thousand quintals. The produce of the boat fishery, on the other 

 hand, had risen to three hundred and ten thousand quintals. The 

 boat-fishers, or inhabitants, had, therefore, overcome every obstacle, 

 and were in the ascendency. 



I reserve a full answer to the many complaints against our country- 

 men who fish in the seas of British America, for another part of this 

 report; that, however, which is made by the people of Newfoundland, 

 may be disposed of here. 



The charge is, that the British flag is no longer seen upon "the 

 banks," and that the privileges enjoyed by the French and Americans, 

 by treaty and otherwise, have caused the withdrawal of the English 

 and colonial merchants from that branch of the fishery. This charge 

 is to be found, in substance, in an offensive form, in newspapers, in 

 official documents, and remonstrances to the home government. I 

 submit, in all kindness, that it is not so. The truth is, that the resi- 

 dent fishermen as Sir Josiah Child, a hundred and eighty years ago, 

 anticipated they would do have supplanted the merchants of Eng- 

 land, with whom they so long contended; that the boat fishery has 

 taken the place of the vessel fishery, in the common course of things. 

 To catch fish by long, expensive, and perilous voyages, when they can 

 be taken at the fishermen's own doors, where catchers and curers can 

 sleep in their own beds, taste the sweets of a shore life, and enjoy the 

 comforts of home, is to dispense with the steam-spindle and go back 

 to the distaff. There is no truth in the complaint. The annual catch 

 at Newfoundland, in whole numbers, is one million of quintals, and, 

 on a mean of years, equal to that of any former period. This fact is 

 conclusive. That the Americans disturb the industry of the colonists, 

 is not possible. The restoration of the by-gone vessel fishery can be 

 accomplished, not by driving these "foreigners" from "the banks," 

 but by a new edict to burn and destroy the dwellings of British subjects.* 



In 1771, the number of souls at Newfoundland was 3,449 English, 

 and 3,348 Irish. In 1775, merchants "at home" were encouraged to 



* Lord Dundonald expressed his views with regard to the British fishery at New- 

 foundland in a communication published in the London Times, August, 1852, in the 



