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unless these poor wretches emigrate, they must starve; for, how can it be otherwise, while the merchant has the power of setting his own price on the supplies issued to the fishermen, and on the fish which these people catch for him?* Thus we see a set of unfortunate beings, working like slaves, and hazarding their lives, when, at the expiration of their term (however successful their exertions), they find themselves not only without gain, but so deeply indebted as forces them to emigrate, or drives them to despair.'

The repugnance to taxation was as strongly characteristic of the leading people in Newfoundland, as in any of the colonies. In a conversation with the Chief Justice, the Governor expressed his sense of the impropriety of the mother-country having

The following memorial addressed to the Surrogate in Placentia Bay, describes the practice to which the Governor refers:— 'Your memorialists having seldom seen a gentleman of your virtue and disinterestedness come among them as Surrogate, are encouraged to lay their grievances before you, particularly with a view that unless they are redressed, that you will be so good as to represent their case to His Excellency the Governor. Your memorialists beg leave to inform your worship that the merchants of this place are long in the habit of charging such prices as best suit themselves, on the boat-keepers, and likewise affixing prices to their fish and oil, without allowing them, the boat-keepers, the common right of mankind, they being considered as persons having no will of their own. Your memorialists only wish to have an equitable price set on goods, and also in the produce of their fishery, and to be regulated in an equal manner with the boatkeepers in St. John's and its neighbourhood, and not considered as slaves. Your memorialists most humbly crave your worship's particular attention to this their complaint, and as in duty bound, will for ever pray.

Placentia, August 19, 1800.

to defray nearly the whole cost of the Government of the country; when a duty of sixpence per gallon on rum would defray all charges, and would not be felt by the people. He also said that he should like to know how the merchants would look on such an impost. On this, the Chief Justice took upon him to ascertain their sentiments; and in answer to his appeal, received a letter expressing very decided repugnance to any proposal of the sort. 'We should be extremely concerned,' the writer says, 'to see any species of taxes introduced into this island, which would inevitably be burdensome and inconvenient to the trade and fishery in general, and we trust that in the wisdom of His Majesty's ministers, no such innovation will take place.' On this topic, the Governor remarks later, in a letter to the Duke of Portland :—

I cannot but here once more lament the injustice of this (the costs connected with courts of justice), and many other expenses incurred in this island, falling on the mothercountry, when the duty on rum, that I once had the honour to propose to your Grace, would so readily defray the whole of them. This must ultimately take place, as both reason and justice demand it, and no one reasonable objection has ever been offered against the measure. I affirm, that all that has been said against this duty arises from no other motive than an insolent idea of independence (which will some day show itself more forcibly) and a firm resolution to oppose every measure of government which a governor may think proper to propose for the general benefit of the island.

The Governor was very strict on the subject of encroachments, to which reference has been made before in this work. Having on the eve of his

STRICT ORDERS AGAINST ENCROACHMENTS.

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departure in 1797, given orders to the sheriff not to allow any erections to be put upon ungranted land during his absence, he received on his return the next season a report from that functionary stating that there had been only a few enclosures or erections, some of which were justifiable, and others too insignificant to interfere with. This report was answered by the following sharp letter:

SIR, I am sorry to say I was no less displeased than astonished by the contents of your letter to me of the 27th instant. The orders you received from me previous to my departure last season, dated October 23, were positive, and so clear as not to be mistaken, if perused with common attention.

You have, nevertheless, suffered a Mrs. Gill to erect a fence on the plea of having received a grant for that purpose from Admiral Duff. If Mrs. Gill has this grant, why was it not produced to me during last season? And why has the enclosure been made during my absence? I suspect much the validity of this grant. I desire therefore that you will bring it to me to-morrow at ten o'clock. all events, you should not have suffered Mrs. Gill to erect the fence before my return, the spot having been heretofore occupied for the use of the fishery, for which purpose it was probably granted.

At

Your having suffered Thomas Nevan to put up what you are pleased to call a few sheds, is clearly an infraction of my orders; you will therefore direct him to remove them immediately; which, if not complied with, I desire that you will yourself see this order executed.

You will take good care that Jeremiah Marroty and John Fitzgerald do not erect chimneys to their sheds, or even light fires in them of any kind.

I shall conclude this letter with informing you that if you at any time hereafter presume to disobey my orders, as in the instance above set forth, I will immediately, on the discovery thereof, remove you from your office of sheriff.

During the period embraced in the narrative contained in this chapter, evidence was afforded of a growing change in the minds of many in regard to the system which had so long been predominant in the island. Even the merchants had come to see that there was an advantage to them, in finding abundance of fishermen resident in the country, instead of having to be at the cost of conveying them to and from the west of England or Scotland. They made a representation to Governor Waldegrave, soliciting a relaxation of the rule which required the departure of the fishermen at the close of the season. The same feeling which moved them to make this request, also led them to desire a withdrawal or modification of the prohibition against appropriating and enclosing unoccupied portions of the soil. These new ideas were in due time to bring forth fruits in a radical change.

Previous to the embarkation of Admiral Waldegrave, on his taking final leave of the colony, over which he had exercised chief authority for three years, very earnest addresses were presented to him. by the magistrates of St. John's, and from the officers of the garrison, expressive of their deep sense of the benefits which he had conferred on the community; making special mention of the benevolent interest he had shown towards the poor, so that by his humane and judicious arrangements, charitable institutions were for the first time formed in the country, also his liberal gifts and zealous exertions on behalf of religion and morality, and his kind and prompt

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attention to the rights and interests of individuals, as well as his unremitting endeavour to promote the good of the fisheries and the trade and commerce of the island.

In concluding this chapter, in which Governor Waldegrave and his administration occupy so large a space, two examples shall be given of his conscientiousness. The first has somewhat the appearance of a muffled joke. A person applied to His Excellency, asking him to grant a certificate of his (the applicant) having done the duty of naval officer from May 28, to September 27, 1799. To this request, the Governor immediately replied :—

SIR,—I have this moment received your letter, and am concerned that I cannot consistently grant a certificate of your having positively performed the duty of naval officer from the 28th of May last to the 27th ultimo, but will readily certify that you have made a representation to me to that purport.

The other instance, which has also a spice of dry humour about it, is headed:

A HINT TO MY SUCCESSOR.

Whereas, on my first arrival at this island, many persons came to me with assurances of my predecessor having promised them grants of land, which the hurry of his departure prevented him from executing, I very imprudently, without enquiry, filled up the grants accordingly, deeming my so doing a compliment to the late governor.

I have since that period had too much reason to believe. that the above representations, with scarce an exception, were very far from correct-I will not use a harsher term. In order to prevent any circumstances of the kind happening