PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1897, 12 June 1890, Page 39

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Newfoundland and the French. About half a column of telegrams appeared in last week's Witness referring to the quarrel between the Newfoundlanders and the French fishermen, yet practically nothing is told of the cauaos of it. Ido not know if I can make things clear to you, but I'll try. In 1634 Franco made an agreement with Charles I agreeing to pay him a royalty of 5 per cent, an all fish oaught by French fisher men in Newfoundland waters. Charles 11, who yon will remember had cause to be grateful to France for providing him with a home while Oromwell ruled England, told the fißhermen they could flub for nothing, there being plenty for all. When William 111 became England's king he naturally objected to allow Frenchmen— his enemiea— to have and hold privilege^ in British waters, but I don't know that he did anything to atop them from fishing. But the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 stated that the town and fortreas of Placentia— within a few miles of St. John's — and all other atations had to be given up, though allowing the Frenoh the right to catch fiah and dry them on the coast line from St. John's to Capefßay. The next treaty of importance, that of Versailles in 1783, seems to be the eauße of ao much excitement at present. It stated that hie Britannic Majesty would stop his aubjects from molesting m any way the French fishermen who fished between tha points I have named, St. John's and Oape Ray. By this treaty the French claim the exclusive right to fiah on the southern shore, but the Newfoundlanders Bay they have an equal right. The English Government says its aubjecta can fish anywhere except on the stations established by the French. The Newfoundlanders again say that the French have no right to fish aa they are doing on river bars or in rivers, and even go as far as to say that the French stations are only for catching bait and drying , the fish they catch on the bank. j In 1884, when the cod fisheries revived, the Newfoundland Parliament passed an act refusing to allow foreigners to purchase bait, hoping no doubt to harass the Frenoh, and make them fish for their own bait. This caused a revival in the French coast stations. THE LOBSTBB CANNING. About the same time fche English or Newfoundlanders established lobster fisheries and canning factories on the coaat, among other places on St. George's Bay, an inlet claimed by the French. The indigestible lobster has

caused trouble, for lobsters were nofc dreamt of when the treaties wore drawn up, The Frenoh say that they and no one ehe have a right to catch and can lobsters on the coast line given to them, but the Newfoundlanders say that :

(1) The French have no exclusive but only an equal right to catch fish on fche part referred to, and (2) That aa lobsters were not thought of the French haven't a right to catch a single lobster, that right belonging altogether to fche inhabitants of fche island.

The French, however, are masters of the situation at present, for they have driven all British subjects from the canning factory at St Georges, and have olosed fche place up. The Newfoundland fishermen are doubly angered by the presence of French men-of-war, and by the faot that the French fishermen have given to them by the French Government a aum of money nearly equal to half the value of the fish they catch on the shores and banks. I auppose the Government finds it necessary tc encourage seamanship in order that its warships may be supplied with seamen without difficulty. Put briefly the present quarrel is : (1) Whether British subjects have a right to fiah on the coast line where the Prenoh were to be allowed to fish unmolested, and (2) Who has a right to the lobster industry ? Ifc bas been suggested that the English Government buy the Frenoh rights up or insist on the abolition of the bounty. Watoh.and see how the quarrel ia settled. THE DISCOVERT OF NEWFOUNDLAND. Your histories slightly refer to the discovery of fche island in the reign of Henry VII. Stirred up by the success of the Spaniards and Portugueee/Henry sent John Cabot and his eons to find out new islands and territories for England. His son Sebastian discovered the New Found Land, Henry VII was not a spendthrift, aB you know, and we read that he made a munificent gift of £10 " to hym that found the New Land," and paid Is 3d to one Clays " for going to Riohmond with wild catts and popinjays from the New Found Island." The island, however, was discovered nearly 900 years ago by voyagers from Iceland. The climate in too raw for farming, but coal and copper mines are worked. It owes its prosperity to the Bank, a flea plateau 600 miles long and 200 mile 1 ! wide, on which the cod feed by the million and are caught aa fast as the lines can be hauled in. The cod and seal industries are the largest in the world. On the extreme east of the island is Trinity Bay, the landing place of nearly all the cables t!>at communicate with North America. The Referendum. : Sir Robert Stout some time ago recommended the young men of Dunedin to keep up wrth current thought, literature, and politios by reading the principal articles in the British reviews. I think his recommendation a good one, and more than one of my colnmns has been taken from the reviews. Most of what I have written this week on Newfoundland was got from a review article. The Referendum was referred to in laßfc week's Witness, and from another artiole I have taken the following notes on it :— The Referendum, aB in force in Switzerland, where ifc answers admirably, stipulates that any change in the form of government must, after being passed by the Swiss Parliament, be submitted to the vote of the people and agreed to (1) by a majority of the electors and (2) by a majority of the cantons. A majority of the electors may be in favour of the ohange, but the change may be harmful to a majority of the cantons, and the majority of cantons may contain the minority of electors, and as manners, customs, productions, &c, vary very much in different cantons, you can see that the double majority required, of voters and cantons, prevents any change being made that is not really acceptable to the people as a whole.

When an ordinary law is passed by the Swiss Parliament the passing is generally sufficient, but if it is not acceptable to the people it haa to be submitted to the popular vote of 30,000 electors, and eight cantons object to it. An appeal againafc a law that ia unpopular is successful if a majority of the whole electors if Switzerland vote against it ; in this oaae a majority of the cantons ia not required, that practically being got before the law disliked is submitted to the vote.

The Referendum is different from the French j opular vote the Plebiscite, in that the Plebiscite is simply a vote " Aye " or " No," without the subject voted for being properly discussed. By the Referendum ifc is thoroughly discussed both in and out of Parliament before being submitted to the people. By this ayatem party government, but not opposition, ia got rid of, and M.H.R.'a, aa we call them, do not pander or toady to the electors, becauae their Beats are not ao dependent on the way they vote. There is no doubt it takea away a great deal of Parliamentary influence and lessens the importance of debate.

At first sight it appears that the Referendum gives the ignorant of the land too much Bay in the government of the country, but the influence of ignorance is somewhat checked, because the people cannot force Parliament to pass an act that the Parliament objects to. To put it shortly, the Referendum gets rid of party government — a desirable riddance ; it separates legislation from politica ; and it distinguishes measures from men.

The gentleman who wrote the article thinks that the Referendum could be introduced infci England, and if it would work there why not have ifc here and get rid of a lot of useless talk and party spirit ? It aeems to be a fair arrangement to let all express their opinions and have a direct say in the laws and government of a country. Now I dare say you will think this exceedingly dry, and possibly it i 8; but my purpose in writing to you is to get you to think, bo that your thinking now will help to make better men of yourselves in the future.