HISTORY. Newfoundland was discovered by John Cabot in 1497, hut the English did not take advantage of the discovery fix nearly a century. In the meantime the cod-fisheries attracted nu merous Portuguese. Spanish, and French fisher men. In 1583 Sir Humphrey Gilbert took formai possession of the island for the British Crown, but various attempts at settlement were defeated by the French. English fishermen. however, frequented the shores in increasing numbers.
By the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, France conceded the absolute sovereignty of England (MA' the whole territory of the island. She re tained, however, the neighboring islets of _Mique lon and Saint Pierre as stations for her fishing fleets, and reserved the exclusive right to the cod-tislu•ries on the western coast, including the right to build such temporary structures on land as were necessary for curing the fish. Even after the English acquisition, however, the prosperity of the island was delayed for a century by the repressive measures adopted by the home Govern ment, influenced by the mercantile and fishing interests, which desired the island simply as a place for drying fish during the season. to he left barren and uninhabited when the fishing season was over. Settlements were practically forbidden. no titles to laud were granted until 1813. and until 1820 no house could be built without a license, while the government of the island was practically left in the hands of the fishing captains. In 1832 Newfoundland finally received a representative government giving the control of its affairs to its inhabitants. In cent years the question of the French treaty rights on the west coast has reached an acute stage. The French interpretation of the treaty, acquiesced in by the British home Government, prevented the settlement and exploitation of the west coast by inhabitants of Newfoundland. Two
attempts to arrange a convention between the French and the British governments were vetoed by the Newfoundland Government, which further more passed an act cutting off the local supply of bait from the French fishermen. The French Government retaliated by ordering the confisca tion of all fishing, implements belonging to for eigners found fishing on the west coast, and it later claimed the right to confiscate the New foundland lobster factories which had been estab lished there, although the treaty referred only to cod-fishing. In 1890 a temporary settlement was arranged by the 1/odes lieendi Act, by which the French and Newfoundland establishments then existing on the shore should he left undis turbed, but no more Newfoundland lobster fac tories could he built until a final settlement could be reached.
Bun.ioonActiv. Pedley, History of Newfound land (London, 1863) ; Tocque, Newfoundland as It Was and Is (ib., 1878) ; Shea, Newfoundland: Its fisheries and tieneral licsourres (ib.. 1883) ; Hatton and Ilarvey, Newfoundland: Its Histrwy and Present Condition 1883) ; Kennedy, Sport and Adroit lure in Newfoundland and 1Vest Indies (Pt- 1885) ; Prow'se, History of New foundland (2d ed.. ib., 1897) ; Parvey. Yetefoued land, England's Oldest Colony (ih., 1897) ; Smith, The Story of Newfoundland (ib., 1901) : "The Newfoundland Question," in Quarterly Reriew, cola exeiv. fib.. 1901) : Willson, The 7'ruth A hoe/ Newfoundland, the Tenth Island (2(1 ed., 1901).