igo THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY QUESTION. 



When, however, information reached St. John's, in Newfoundland, 

 of the details of the preliminaries, seditious cries were raised against 

 the Queen of England, the English flag was fastened to the tail of a 

 horse, and marched through the streets, and the Governor of New- 

 foundland was insulted by the people at his residence. The local 

 Parliament was indignant, and at one of its sittings positively refused 

 to adhere to the Convention. 



The Government of Her Majesty, in presence of this manifesta- 

 tion, informed the French Commissioners that the proposed Con- 

 vention would have to be abandoned, as the sanction of the Parlia- 

 ment of St. John's was indispensable to the negotiations, and that 

 England could not go against the opinion manifested by the Parlia- 

 ment of Newfoundland. 



The French Government naturally complained of this decision, 

 for they considered that the review of a Treaty whose signatories were 

 England and France, ought not to be submitted to the ratification of 

 the Legislature of a British colony, and, moreover, that the decision 

 or action of the Parliament at Newfoundland cannot release the 

 mother country from its engagements. 



This attempt by England and France to arrive at a satisfactory 

 settlement by conciliation and negotiation, unfortunately had no 

 other result than to demonstrate the hostile sentiments of the Legis- . 

 lature of Newfoundland with regard to the French fisheries, and the 

 preponderating influence of Colonial opinion upon the policy of 

 England. 



During the fishing campaign of 1858 the fishermen of Newfound- 

 land were warned by the French captains that any exercise of fishing 

 on the coast line, permitted to France by Treaty, will be formally for- 

 bidden the following year by the French naval authorities, and in 

 consequence of this action the English Government were alarmed, 

 and fearing the result from such a retaliatory measure, they put for- 

 ward a proposition for a Parliamentary enquiry at Newfoundland, 

 and this proposition was agreed to by the French Government. 



NEGOTIATIONS IN 1859. 



This enquiry was confided to a mixed Commission, that assem- 

 bled in Newfoundland on the ist May, 1859. 



France was represented by M. le Montaignac de Chauvance, 

 Commander of the French naval division at Newfoundland, and 



