THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY QUESTION. 209 



ARBITRATION PROPOSALS. 



This critical state of affairs induced the Government of New- 

 foundland to consider the desirability of proposing a reference of the 

 difficulties to some system of Arbitration, and accordingly, on 21st 

 July, 1890, the Prime Minister, Sir William Whiteway, addressed a 

 Despatch to Lord Knutsford to the following effect : 



That all matters in difference as regards the construction and true meaning of the 

 . Treaties, and what breaches thereof have been committed by the people of either 

 nation, and all matters in difference in relation thereto, be submitted to the Arbitra- 

 ment of five Arbitrators, one to be named by her Majesty's Government, one by the 



Newfoundland Government, two by the French Government, and one by . 



The award of a majority to be binding ; that upon the true position being clearly 

 ascertained, and the full rights of each nation defined, the same Arbitrators proceed 

 to a valuation of the rights of the French as regards the fisheries, and upon the coast 

 between Cape Raye and Cape St. John, and determine the compensation to be made 

 to the French for a surrender of those rights, which surrender upon the one hand, and 

 compensation upon the other, be carried out. That the same Arbitrators determine 

 as regards the abrogation or reduction of the bounties by the French, and the conces- 

 sion of the privilege of purchasing bait fishes on the coast of Newfoundland on an 

 equitable basis, with a view to the prosecution of the fisheries, without injury or 

 prejudice to the people of either nation. 



This approach by the Colonial Government, for the first time 

 during these complications, towards an amicable reference, encouraged 

 the Marquis of Salisbury to address, on 24th September, 1890, an 

 important Despatch to Lord Lytton, for communication to the French 

 Government, in which he declared that : 



" Arbitration appears now to be the only method to which resort 

 can be had, if a plain and authoritative definition is required 

 of the extent and nature of the rights secured to France by 

 the Treaties ; and with respect, at least, to some of these, we 

 have received the assurance that the French Government is 

 not unwilling to have recourse to this method of ad- 

 justment." 

 The British Ambassador at Paris informed Lord Salisbury, on the 

 26th September, that he had submitted to M. Ribot the proposals, 

 and tliat he regretted to say that the French Minister was of opinion 

 that they could not be regarded as acceptable, although he considered 

 that a permanent settlement of the Newfoundland Fishery Question 

 by means of Arbitration, under conditions less restricted than those 

 indicated by the Marquis of Salisbury, were worthy of consideration, 

 and he promised to communicate further the views of the French 

 Government. 



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