THE NEWFOUNDLAND AFFAIR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8313, 21 July 1890, Page 6

THE NEWFOUNDLAND AFFAIR.

The Island papers that come to hand are lillcd with accounts of tin; St. George's Bay matter ; and the editorial opinion is that the action of the French man-o-war Indre in removing the nets and seines of the Knglish fishermen is tantamount to a declaration ot war. The Indre arrived at Sydney, Cape Breton, on June 4, and the commander is t|uite placid in regard to the matter. The lights of the French fishermen on the Newfoundland coast were established by the Treaty of Utrecht, made on the 11th April, lTl.'t, and have always been recognised. It has been the custom, according t<i the commander of the Indre, when natives occupied the fishing grounds to request British warships to cause them to make room for the French, which has always been done. In this case there was no British warship to call on, so the French commander made the order direct. Not more than a dozen seines were removed from the Hay of St. George. The Frenchman says the whole rumpus is nothing but a political hullaballoo. In the House of Commons, «>u June f»th, the Foreign Secretary said that the ollicial advices forwarded to the Government stated there had been no landing of French armed forces. The commander of the French ship requested the removal of certain nets in St. George's Hay, the request being justified. No threats had been used. The furious address of the Newfoundland Legislature ta the Queen had not passed on June 7th. and it. may be modified considerably before that time. The excitement among the fishermen, however, continued to grow mote and more intense. One meeting resolved that if ihe French disturbed their nets wi'hin the shore limits to fire on them, and lake the consequences. The St. John's newspapers taunted the. British naval otli :ers, saying they ought to wear petticoats instead of breeches, and carry a lawn tennis raquet instead of a sword. While British men-of-war were in Newfoundland waters ostensibly for fishery protection, they in reality were there to bolster up French claims to the fisheries, and to give the otlicers opportunity to play lawn tennis.

The report of the captain of the steamship Ilarlow, which went to the Bay of St. (Jeorge with a cargo of provisions, is published in the Halifax papets of Juno l.">. He was not permitted to land any goods at the Bay. as the residents there refused to pay customs dues, and proceeded up the coast as far as Flowers Cove, where the people were found to be starving, reduced to such extreme, want that they had nothing to eat bin rotten eareases of seals, and many were at the point of death when the Hallow arrived.

The I'aiis Figaro of.lune 19 declares Salisbury will accent arbitration; that if France refuses Ik will repudiate the Treaty of Utrecht, and open negotiations for a new treaty, giving the French, to a reasonoble e\the cod and lobster-lishing grounds and the colonists exclusive rights on the coasts and banks. As the case stands at present, Salisbury denies the right of the French to take the lobster, which was unknown as a tish at the time the old treatv was concluded.

Later intelligence from Newfoundland is to the etlect that factory-owners in St. Ueurge's l»;\v hive combined to resist the rn<>'/i<s I'll , ' mli, ami the aspect of atUiirs is grou ing constantly grjver. French warships are hovering closer than ever around St. lieorge's Hay, ami on the June French ami Kng-li-ii fishermen had a serious at Itroad Cove. It began in aquarrel over the lishing grounds, mid the Freiichmeu l;o', the worst ot it. There were many broken heads and bruised bodies, but no fatalities, no firearms being use.!. Much ugly feeling exists against F.ugland, and as a straw to show the current, the Island authorities have made liberal concessions toward American fishermen in tiie way of facilities to obtain bait, and in reducing the price paid for it.