adopted in
all Her Majesty's neighbouring possessions in North America, and they
are prepared to concede the immediate application of the system as
soon as certain preliminary conditions have been acceded to on the
part of the Legislature." At the same time the numbers of members in
the Representative Assembly was, at the instance of the Imperial
Government, increased to thirty.

It was not long before the Empire had an instructive lesson in the
influence with which responsible government arms a colony. A natural
_rapprochement_ between France and England followed the Crimean War,
and a Convention was drafted dealing with the Newfoundland fisheries.
Against the proposed adjustment, involving a surrender by Great
Britain of Newfoundland fishing rights, local feeling was strong and
unanimous. Petition followed petition, and delegation delegation. "The
excitement in the colony over the Convention of 1857 was most intense
and widespread; the British flag was hoisted half-mast; other excited
citizens flew American flags; everywhere there was burning indignation
over this proposal to sell our birthright for a mess of pottage.[40]
The resolute attitude of those interested elicited from Mr H.
Labouchere, then Colonial Secretary, the welcome expression of a great
constitutional principle:

"The proposals contained in the Convention having been now
unequivocally refused by the colony, they will of course fall to the
ground; and you are authorized to give such assurance as you may think
proper, that the consent of the community of Newfoundland is regarded
by Her Majesty's Government as the essential preliminary to any
modification of their territorial or maritime rights."

So vital is the appreciation of this principle to an Empire
constituted like our own, that it is worth while to set out the
resolution of the Newfoundland Legislature which killed the
Convention:

"We deem it our duty most respectfully to protest in the most solemn
way against any attempt to alienate any portion of our fisheries or
our soil to any foreign power without the consent of the local
Legislature. As our fishery and territorial rights constitute the
basis of our commerce and of our social and political existence, as
they are our birthright and the legal inheritance of our children, we
cannot under any circumstances assent to the terms of the Convention;
we therefore earnestly entreat that the Imperial Government will take
no steps to bring this t