2o8 THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY QUESTION. 



ture of Newfoundland to the original scheme proposed under the 

 " Modus Vivendi." It will be remembered that the basis of that 

 scheme was amended by the insertion of a clause in order to meet 

 the views of the Government of Newfoundland, and the effect of 

 this clause was to prevent the erection of any further French Lobster 

 Factories on the Coast of Newfoundland. 



In a Despatch from the Governor of Newfoundland, received at 

 the Colonial Office on April 17th, 1890, the Joint Committee of the 

 Legislature agreed to accept the modus vivendi, on the terms pro- 

 posed in Lord Knutsford's Despatch of the 8th February, to the 

 effect that equal right would be granted to both France and England, 

 and that lobster factories, if closed at one position on the coast, 

 could, with the sanction of the joint Naval Commanders, be removed 

 to another position. With this proviso, the Government of !^^ew- 

 foundland were willing to meet the wishes of H.M. Government, and 

 the Marquis of Salisbury concurred in this arrangement ; but unfor- 

 tunately, the French Government were unable to agree to any modi- 

 fication of the modus vivendi, on the ground that it had been 

 proclaimed at all the French ports of departure, and this decision 

 was telegraphed to the Governor of Newfoundland on May 2nd, and 

 consequently the terms of the modus vivendi, as finally adopted 

 between England and France, had to be enforced by her Majesty's 

 Government. 



The state of affairs in Newfoundland had now become critical. 

 Indignation meetings had been held, at which resolutions of a 

 revolutionary character had been adopted ; lobster factories at St. 

 George's Bay were seized by the British Commander, Sir Baldwin 

 Walker, and closed ; coUisions of English and French fishermen 

 took place at Port-k-Port, which resulted in the destruction of the 

 fishing nets of the Colonists ; and an address from both Houses 

 of the Colonial Legislature had been adopted to H.M. the Queen, 

 in which occurs the following important passage : 



" The Secretary of State for the Colonies asks if we are prepared to submit the 

 question of the lobster fishery to Arbitration ? After a careful perusal of the Treaties 

 bearing on this matter, we find that there is certainly no question for arbitration. A 

 similar proposition applied to Great Britain would be for the French to claim a right 

 to take salmon in the Tees or the Tay, and for your Majesty to submit such claim to 

 Arbitration. 



" With respect to the lobster industry, this colony will be satisfied with nothing short 

 of the immediate removal of every French lobster factory from the shores of 

 Newfoundland ; and all our efforts will be directed to the accomplishment of this 

 object." 



