§ MR. COURTNEY KENNY (York, W.E., Barnsley)asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether the Colony of Newfoundland is now in danger of permanent commercial ruin, owing to the impossibility of maintaining its staple industry, the cod fishery, against the competition of the French fishermen, in consequence of the latter receiving from their Government a bounty of more than 50 per cent., which enables them to take fish on the banks of Newfoundland, and afterwards sell it profitably in European markets at a price below the cost of production; whether the Bill, recently passed by the Legislature of Newfoundland to restrain the export of bait, would have secured to the Colony the control of the sole natural advantage which it possesses for carrying on its fisheries against so unequal a competition; and, whether he can state to the House the reasons which led Her Majesty's Government to advise that the Royal Assent should be withheld from that Bill?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Sir HENRY HOLLAND) (Hampstead)The statements contained in the first and second paragraphs of the Question are, I regret to say, substantially in accordance with the representations of the Governor and Legislature of Newfoundland; but Her Majesty's Government have requested further information as to the exact effects and operation upon the markets of the French bounty system which has recently produced such serious results to the Colonial Fishery. As to the third paragraph, the reasons which have led Her Majesty's Government to advise that the Royal Assent should not be 456 given to the Bait Bill are set forth in a Despatch of February 3. The matter is one of importance; and as it would not be possible, within the ordinary limits of an answer to state fully those reasons, I have to-day laid a copy of that Despatch upon the Table of the House. In the meantime I shall be very glad to show it to the hon. Member.