Since the conclusion of the war, the United States have been re-admitted, by a convention, to all their former privileges of curing and drying their fish on the unsettled bays, harbours, and creeks of Nova Scotia, Labrador, and Newfoundland; but under certain modifications, which it is hoped will prevent those abuses which existed in a flagrant degree pre vious to the war. The Great Bank, from its distance from the shores of Newfoundland, is of course free to all the world; but the fishery can only be success fully carried on by a constant and uninterrupted communication with the shore, and the nearer to the shore that the fish are taken, the more advantageous is it to the fishermen. The Americans, being re strained foom fishing within certain limits, and ha ving the privilege of curing and drying their fish on ly at certain spots on the shore, labour under a com parative disadvantage with us in this respect, which serves to balance the advantage they possess over us in others. Under this convention, the fishermen of the United States are at liberty to take fish, in com mon with the subjects of his Britannic Majesty, on that part of the southern coast of Newfoundland, which extends from Cape Ray to the Ramean Is lands, from Cape Ray to the Quirpon Islands, on the shores of the Magdalen Islands, and also on the coasts, bays, harbours, and creeks, from Mount Joly, on the southern coast of Labrador, to and through the strait of Bellisle, and thence northerly indefi nitely along the coast; and they are at liberty, also, to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, harbours, and creeks of the southern part of the coast of Newfoundland, and of the coast of Labrador; but so soon as the same, or any portion thereof, shall be settled, they are no longer at liberty to dry and cure fish at such portion, without a previous agreement with the inhabitants or proprietors ; and, in consi deration of these privileges, the United States re nounce, on their part, any liberty heretofore enjoyed or claimed by their subjects, to take, dry, or fish, on or within three marine miles of any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harbours of his Britannic Majesty's dominions in America, not included with in the above-mentioned limits ; but may be admitted to such bays and harbours, for the purpose of wood ing, watering, or repairing damages only. The mar chants of Poole, and others concerned in the fishery, complain of this treaty ; but it appears to be well calculated to prevent those disputes and abuses which before existed, and which would probably have in terrupted the harmony so desirable to be preserved between the two nations.
The importance of the fisheries on the Banks of Newfoundland, on the coast of Labrador, in the Gulf of St Lawrence, and the neighbouring islands, may be conceived, from a memorial of the commit tee of merchants trading to Newfoundland, address ed, in 1814, to Lord Liverpool; in which it as sta ted, that the catch of the French was generally es timated, at the least, at 300,000 quintals; that the Americans had reached, in 1811, nearly 1,000,000 quintals, besides fish-oil and other articles, the pro duce of the sea; and that the English fishery, du ?ing the American war, had increased to a degree equal to the most sanguine expectations ; the export of dried cod alone, for the year 1813, having amount ed to 946,102 quintals, which exceeded the ship ment of the preceding year by nearly 300,000 quin tals, or one-third of the catch of the whole fishery, with a proportionate increase in cod-oil, seal-skins, seal-oil, salmon, &c. amounting in value to above
L.1,500,000 sterling; employing in its transport to different markets at least 75,000 tons of British shipping, and 5000 seamen, independent of the per sons actually employed in catching and curing the fish; and returning to England upwardaof L.2,000,000 sterling.
These advantages, however, can hardly be sup posed to continue, since the re-admission of the French and the Americans, both of whom, it is to be feared, will be able to undersell our fishermen in the foreign markets; the former from a considerable bounty being given by government on the fish caught and cured on the Banks of Newfoundland; and the latter from their-nearness to the fishing grounds, and cheapness of the outfit. It has, indeed, been ques tioned by political economists, whether it would not be greatly advantageous to the national interests, if the capital employed in the 'distant possession of Newfoundland, and the fisheries -contiguous to it were engaged wholly in the fishery on the banks of our own seas, and those of Iceland and the coast of Norway, which are so much nearer home. New foundland, however, in spite of all the restrictions imposed upon it, has risen into a colony of toe much importance to be abandoned ; and its growing pro sperity depends so much, it may be said indeed sole ly, on the fishery, that the residents, with the assist ance of America, will always be able to carry it on independent of England. Much of late has, in fact, been done to •better the condition of the colonists, and more will be required. Among other things, a resident-governor has been appointed, so that the in habitants are not left for a great portion of the year, as heretofore, to administer justice among them selves, which was usually done in his absence by a surrogate, with a salary-of L.60 a-year, and magis- • trates, whose occupations are in some way or other connected with the fishery.
The nature, and the value of the exports from Newfoundland, will be seen from the following Ta ble.: