§ MR. GOURLEYasked the First Lord of the Treasury, What measures he intends adopting for the purpose of ar- 319 ranging the claim of the United States Government for 103,000 dollars, the amount of damages alleged to have been done by Newfoundland fishermen in Fortune Bay to the Massachussetts Fishery Fleet; further, what steps are being adopted for the purpose of abrogating or amending clause 33 of the Treaty of Washington relative to the Canadian and Newfoundland Inshore Fisheries; and, whether the provision of the Convention of 1818, which admits American fishermen to enter British North American bays or harbours for the purpose of shelter, repairing damages, and purchase of wood and water, is intended to exclude them from going inshore to traffic, tranship fish, purchase stores, repair nets, and hire seamen?
§ MR. MACDONALDalso asked a Question on the same subject.
§ SIR CHARLES W. DILKESir, a demand for compensation for losses sustained by certain American fishermen through the occurrences in Fortune Bay in January, 1878, has been put forward by the United States Government; the exact amount claimed is $105,305 2c. There has been no Correspondence between the two Governments upon the subject during the interval between the publication of the last Papers—North America, No. 3, 1878—and the presentation of the claim for compensation. It is intended shortly to lay before Parliament further Papers on the subject which will contain information on all the points referred to in the Question of the hon. Member for Sunderland (Mr. Gourley), the details of which are of a very technical character. The delay mentioned in the Question of the hon. Member for Stafford (Mr. Macdonald) was occasioned by the necessity of calling for a Report upon the case from the Government of Newfoundland, and of submitting certain points of law and the voluminous documents relating to the controversy to the Law Officers of the Crown for their opinion.