Newfoundland Fisheries: St. John’s (Newfoundland), Oct. 11: The grand jury, in a presentment on the cases arising out of the incidents in St. George’s Bay state that in the spring of this years some of the French Officers prohibited the people of the coast from selling bait to American fishermen who were offering for it $1.25 per barrel. Boats containing bait were forcibly driven from the side of American fishing vessels and competed to sell their supplies to French vessels at forty cents per barrel. The grand jury asked the judge, Sir Robert J. Pinsent, whether the French were justified in the course they had taken. His Lordship replied that the subjects of the United States had certain treaty rights to fish on the coast, and British subjects had a right to sell bait to them. Consequently, the French were wrong in prohibiting the sale. Sir Robert also said that the French had no right under the treaties to establish lobster factories on the coast, whereas the British had a right to establish factories so long as they did not interfere with the French cod fishing. He urged a loyal submission to the modus vivendi and expressed his confidence that the government would redress the grievances of the Newfoundlanders in time. …
Transcribed in whole or part from scanned originals: Presented with or without modified text and punctuation. For absolute accuracy refer to the original newspapers. Source: The British Newspaper Archive
Referenced
GRO0747 Hennock: Robert John Pinsent: 1834 – 1893