THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY QUESTION. 1 95 



NEGOTIATIONS IN 1884. 



The eighth Commission was appointed by the Governments of 

 England and France in December, 1883, and the Commissioners 

 for England were Mr. Francis Clare Ford, (now H.M. Ambassador 

 at Madrid) and Mr. Edmund Burke Pennell ; and for France, 

 M. Jagerschmidt and Captain Bigrel. 



This Joint Commission met in Paris on January 23rd, 1884, and 

 on the 26th April concluded their labours, when the Convention was 

 signed by the British and French Commissioners, subject to the 

 approval of their respective Governments, and also subject to the 

 ratification of the Colonial Government and Legislature of New- 

 foundland. 



At this ■ date, 1883, the Right Hon. the Earl of Derby was 

 H.M. Minister of the Colonies, and his lordship is deserving of the 

 highest praise for the broad and generous policy he displayed in those 

 intricate negotiations, and especially for the comprehensive Despatch of 

 June 1 2th, 1884, addressed to the Governor of Newfoundland, Sir 

 John Glover, on the subject ; a document of great value, and which 

 should be carefully studied by French and Englishmen alike, in 

 order to obtain a right appreciation of the whole controversy.* 



This Convention contained 19 articles or clauses, and may be 

 summed up as follows : — 



I. — The claim of France to an exclusive right of fishing, not recognised, but on the 

 contrary, the recognition of the concurrent rights of England to the coast line, 

 of the French limit of the " littoral Anglais," from Cape St. John to Cape Ray, 

 under conditions of not interfering with or molesting the French in the exercise 

 of their fishing industry. 



2. — ^That the claim of France to the right of fishing in rivers except at the 

 " embouchures" not recognised, and the practice of barring rivers prohibited. 



3. That the settlements of French fishing establishments on the French limit of 



coast line, is not permissible under any existing Treaties, but v\rhilst making 

 this declaration, a concession was made herein to France of an ex fast facto 

 character, that all fixed settlements, fishing or otherwise, at present existing 

 vrithin the limits of the coast line over which the French have Treaty rights shall 

 not be disturbed. 



The British Government, before approving of this Convention, 

 submitted it to the consideration of the Newfoundland Government 

 and Legislative Council, and the British Commissioners, Messrs. 

 Ford and Pennell, proceeded to Newfoundland on the 17 th June, 

 1884, for the purpose of presenting it to the Government at St. John's. 



In the interval, the Government of Mr,. Gladstone had been suc- 

 ceeded by the Government of the Marquis of Salisbury, and upon his 



* Referred to previously, at page 187. 



