Justice Pinsent’s address to the members of the Colonial Institute has exposed to view once more the insane method that has been adopted with regard to the development of Newfoundland. The early Governors condemned the Colony to be a producer of -stock fish and seal oil, and so much did they discourage settlement that, up to 1811, they prohibited the erection of houses without written permission. Even to this day, this prohibition exists along the French shore, which includes nearly the whole of the coastline facing the Gulf of St. Lawrence. English and French fishermen alike may land there to dry their fish, but English dwelling-houses and farms are absolutely forbidden by the terms of the treaties with France, lest they should interfere with the fisheries. This arrangement is hindering the growth of the Colony. It has closed to agricultural settlement and mining enterprises, a region possessing a great area of rich soil and untold mineral wealth. The Legislature of Newfoundland, knowing that settlement on the West Coast will not interfere with the fisheries, have long endeavoured to escape from this intolerable arrangement; but the treaty is there, and the French stick to it. The Marquis of Lorne advocates the purchase of the French rights to keep the coast barren; or, if that cannot be arranged, he would give to them absolutely certain definite portions of the coast, as we left Pondicherry to them in India, and as we gave them the islands of Miquelon and St. Pierre off the Newfoundland coast. On this point all Canadians are agreed—that some means of escape must be found from the diplomatic abortion that keeps a shore a desert in order that fisheries may not be interfered with.
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