The Bond-Blaine negotiations: 1890-1891

Davis, David John (1970) The Bond-Blaine negotiations: 1890-1891. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

In the winter of 1890-1891, Robert Bond, the Colonial Secretary of Newfoundland, attempted to negotiate a reciprocal trade agreement with James G. Blaine, the American Secretary of State. Although Blaine accepted an amended draft treaty, the Imperial Government, in London, withheld ratification from the proposed treaty when it received a series of protests from the Canadian Government through its High Commissioner in London. -- In order to understand the significance of these negotiations, it was necessary to provide the background to both the problems of the Newfoundland economy and fishery, as well as to describe the various attempts to achieve a permanent settlement of the North West Atlantic Fisheries Question. The fishery was the basis of Newfoundland's export trade in 1890, and any reciprocity treaty would have been designed to increase Newfoundland fish exports to the United States. -- The negotiation of a reciprocity treaty between a British colony and a foreign country was conducted through the British Minister in the foreign capital. In addition, the power to permit these negotiations and their ratification rested in London. The Imperial Government refused to ratify the Convention because of the objections of the Canadian Government. Therefore, a large portion of this study was given over to a discussion of how the relations between the various members of the British Empire - Newfoundland, Canada and Great Britain - affected the Bond-Blaine negotiations. Although this discussion of reciprocity has been broadened to encompass an analysis of Bond's and Blaine's motives for commencing the talks, the basic problem remained - whether Newfoundland should be allowed to negotiate bilaterally with the United States or in concert with Canada as an Imperial unit.

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