The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1890.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2790, 31 May 1890, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1890.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

Wak with France over a few barrels of lobsters is hardly within the realms of possibility in these days, but the intelligence from Newfoundland will nevertheless cause considerable anxiety. The cable is very circumstantial and tells u.s that there is serious friction. A French warship had ordered British fishermen to remove their nets in St. George's Bay, situated 011 the west coast of Newfoundland. To enforce this order a party of French marines was landed. A British warship, present during these operations, did not attempt to interfere. The Newfoundlanders are indignant arid denounce tho conduct of the French captain as an invasion of British territory, if the cable reports the affair correctly, there can be no doubt that explanations will be promptly demanded. There is no reason to believe that they will not be as promptly given. The tone of the French Press is said to be moderate, and the French Government is not likely to quarrel with England over such a case, nor to back tip an officer if he has been in the wrong. Disputes between the French fishermen and those of Newfoundland are of very old standing. Rivalry and angry contests have always marked their relations to each other and have been a constant source of trouble to their respective Governments. The right of the French to fish for cod in tho Gulf of St. Lawrence, where the present disputes have occurred, is ancient and undoubted. The trouble has been about alleged encroachments, and lately about the landing to take lobsters for bait. The French claim the right to do this as incident to their cod fisheries, and have set up factories, in certain unoccupied spots to can lobsters for the purpose. Tho Bay of St. George opens into tho Gulf and is undoubtedly British territory. By what right a French warship could drive off English fishermen from the Bay we cannot conceive, oven if the French had the right to land and take lobsters for themselves. The Treaties between England and Franco with reference to the fisheries have been frequently revised, but the Newfoundland Government has always refused to accept j the revisions. They have, therefore I fallen through, for England always

made ratification contingent on acceptance by the colony. In this unsettled and unsatisfactory condition, a temporary arrangement was lately made. 11 was only to last for the present season in the hope that negotiations could be successfully concluded before the next begins. By this arrangement the status quo was to be maintained. The right to cod-tisbing was sufficiently clear to permit the hope that it could be carried 011 without dispute, but the right to take bait was a much more delicate affair. The French formerly purchased this from the Newfoundland coast settlers, but lately took to getting it for themselves. In doing so they were obliged to land, and thus came into collision with, the offended settlers. The temporary arrangement left all things aa they were. Each side was to fish within its alleged limits. The French were to take tlieir lobster bait, but 110 new lobster canning establishment was to bo put up, on either side, without consent of the naval commanders of both nations. Several proposals have been made to settle the contest by arbitration, but the Newfoundlanders decline the risk. They liold that their rights aie clear, that the French, have everything to gain by arbitration, and themselves everything to lose. The disputes as to the codfishery could be easily settled. They were practically settling themselves, as, despite a large bounty from their Government, the French have found themselves unable to carry on the fishery, so far from home, in competition with the English fishermen on the spot. The lobsters are the real trouble. The Imperial Government would gladly get rid of it and come to an amicable understanding. Tho Newfoundlanders are less disposed to submit. England has hitherto left to them, as to all her colonies, a large voice in tho settlomeut of questions iu which their relations wich other Powers are concerned. It was so with tho New Hebrides, New Guinea, and other cases. It is so with Canada in Behring Sea, and it has been so with Newfoundland. But the peace of the Empire can certainly not be endangered for a paltry dispute of this kind. In spite of the friction, the indignation, and tho invasion of British territory, all so loudly denounced in the cablegrams, the good senso and good feeling of tho two great nations concerned will not allow their Governments, 011 either side, to push this petty disagreement too far. To light up a great war over the disputes of rival fishermen as to their respective rights to Newfoundland lobsters would be too absurd and too inconsistent with tho spirit of the times in which wo live. J