l8o THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY QUESTION. 



islands on the coasts and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence ; but France 

 retained the possession of the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, on 

 condition that she did not raise any fortifications upon them. 



The following are the 5th and 6th Articles of the Treaty of Paris of 

 1763 referred to : — 



Article 

 The subjects of France shall have the liberty of fishing and drying on a part of 

 the coasts of the island of Newfoundland, such as it is specified in the 13th Article of 

 the Treaty of Utrecht, which article is renewed and confirmed by the present Treaty 

 ( except what relates to the island of Cape Breton, as well as to the other islands and ' 

 coasts in the mouth and in the gulf of St. Lawrence) ; and his Britannic Majesty con- 

 sents to leave to the subjects of the most Christian King the liberty of fishing in the gulf 

 of St. Lawrence on condition that the subjects of France do not exercise the said 

 fishery but at the distance of three leagues from all the coasts belonging to Great 

 Britain, as well those of the continent as those of the islands situated in the said 

 gulf of St. Lawrence. And as what relates to the fishery on the coast of the sland 

 of Cape Breton out of the said gulf, the subjects of the most Christian King shall 

 not be permitted to exercise the said fishery but at the distance of fifteen leagues 

 from the coast of the island of Cape Breton, and the fishery on the coasts of Nova 

 Scotia or Arcadia, and everywhere else out of the said gulf, shall remain on the foot- 

 ing of former treaties. 



Article VI. 

 The King of Great Britain cedes the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon in full 

 right to his most Christian Majesty, to serve as a shelter to the French fisherman ; 

 and his said most Christian Majesty engages not to fortify the said islands, to erect 

 no buildings upon them, but merely for the convenience of the fishery ; and to keep 

 upon them a guard of fifty men only for the police. 



There was therefore no modification made by this Treaty with the 

 exercise of the French rights to fish on the coast of Newfoundland ; 

 and it was considered sufficient to restate the provisions of the Treaty 

 of Utrecht of 1713. 



From 1763 to 1783, some disputes arose on the subject of the 

 concurrent rights, and of the claims made by French fishermen 

 ■upon the Newfoundlanders in regard to the fisheries on the shores at 

 Cape Bonavista. 



The population of Newfoundland had increased, and English 

 families had profited by the confusion arising from the great war be- 

 tween England and France, and the consequent damage to the French 

 fisheries, that the former established themselves upon the coast-line 

 referred to in the Treaty. 



France considered that it was necessary she should demand the 

 expulsion of the English intruders, or adopt the alternative course 

 and renounce the validity of her rights, and the British Government 

 got over the difficulty by proposing that France should surrender her 



