NEWFOUNDLAND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 449, 6 March 1909, Page 5

NEWFOUNDLAND.

SIR E. MORRIS SUCCEEDS SIR R. BOND. |nr TKi.EUttira—l'kess AssociATinN-cni'Viticnrr.) St. John's, March 4.' Sir Robert Bond, Premier of Newfoundland, has resigned, and Sir Edward Morris, who has an equal number of supporters, lias formed a Cabinet! THE PARTIES AND THE ISSUES. Tho Eight Hon. Sir Robert Bond, K.C.M.G., was born in 1857, and entered tho Newfoundland Legislature in 1882. Two years later, being then 23 years of age, he was elected Speaker. From 18S9 to 1897 he was Colonial Secretary, and he had been Premier since 1900. Ho bitterly opposed the fisheries modus vivendi negotiated by the Colonial Office with the United States, and used strong language at the Imperial Conference in 1907. Under a recent treaty, the fisheries question goes before tho Hague Tribunal. Sir Edward Morris, born in the Newfoundcapital in 1859, was elected to Parliament by his native city n 1885 and has held that seat ever sinco. He is a lawyer. Ho held office in the Whiteway Cabinet in 1889, and in 1900 joined the Bond Cabinet, but resigned his portfolio (Attorney-General) in June, 1907, and took over tho Leadership of the Opposition. He now succeeds his former chief. At the last elections; in November, each party secured 18 seats, and the old constituency was secured by the Bond Government, whose representative, Mr. I)awo, Minister for Fisheries, had a majority of only one vote. Sir Edward Morris, the now Premier, resigned from the Bond Government over labour questions. According to a recent writer, the great points at issuo between the two parties aro the Atlantic fisheries qnestion and the Labrador boundary. Sir E. Bond's supporters declare that Sir E. Morris and his party favour federation with Canada, a policy strongly opposed by the vast majority of the Newfoundland people. On the other hand, Sir E. Morris's party retorts that the Bond Govornment has helped the fishing fleets of tho United States, Canada, and France, to filch tho hvings of Newfoundland fishermen by his legislation with regard to bait and other matters. They also declare that nearly all the industrial enterprises started by Sir E. Bond have pone to pieces, with disastrous results to Newfoundlanders. To this Sir E. Bond replies that the colony has never been so prosporous as it is to-day.