192 THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY QUESTION. 



the status quo ; but the records it has left of its investigations are 

 clear upon the state of things in Newfoundland, that it seemed 

 hopeless to be able to conciliate the French interests with those of 

 the population of Newfoundland, who seemed intent on resisting 

 every step for arriving at a settlement. 



NEGOTIATIONS IN 1866. 



In 1866 the English Government, dissatisfied with a state of things 

 •so contrary to the interests of the colony of Newfoundland, resolved 

 to leave it to the Parliament of St. John's to furnish bases for 

 negotiations, and afterwards to submit the conclusions arrived at 

 to the British Government, and also a copy to be placed in the 

 bands of the Commandant of the French station at Newfoundland, 

 M. Lapelin, for submission to the French Government. 



The Parliament of St. John's accepted these proposals, and in its 

 Session of 1867 adopted five propositions which are important on 

 two grounds ; first, that they were the unanimous conclusions arrived at 

 "by Newfoundland, and secondly that they were intended to serve as a 

 basis for negotiations between the two Governments of England and 

 France. 



The propositions were as follows : — 



I. — Nomination of a raixetl Commission, composed of representatives of Newfound- 

 land, England, and France, having a thorough knowledge of all the affairs 

 relating to the fisheries of Newfoundland. 



2. — The fishing establishments are recognised to exist at St. George's Bay> at Cape 

 Ray, at the Isles Bay, at Bonne Bay, and at the Bay Blanche, and are to be 

 protected. 



3. — ^The mixed Commission must not suppress or injure the interests of the French 

 fishermen on the littoral granted to them by Treaty ; permission to be given 

 under certain conditions for the erection of French fishing establishments ; any 

 fishing establishment removed, an indemnity shall be paid, provided they have 

 been built over a period of five years, but no indemnity shall be claimed for 

 the suppression of the buildings which shall have been built without the 

 consent of the mixed Commission. 



4. — The mixed Commission shall fix the period of time within which the French 

 shall be obliged to build their fishing establishments. 

 The Colonists, shall have the exclusive right to the salmon and other fish of the 

 rivers, wherever found. 



5. —The "littoral" zone allotted by Treaties to the French fishermen shall be clearlv 

 defined, and the construction of establishments shall be determined and the 

 mineral interests of the Newfoundlanders of the littoral zone protected. 



Judging by these propositions it would appear that the Parliament 

 of Newfoundland declared in 1867, in clear and emphatic terms, the 



