the "fishing-admirals," of the Courts held in summer by surrogates
(naval commanders visiting the island) and of the Courts of Session
held in winter by local justices of the peace, and was empowered to
try all persons charged with criminal offences and determine civil
suits, including those relating to land, and to make arrest and
attachment in civil suits discretionary and alternative. The
jurisdiction of the Court was renewed annually, then triennially; and
John Reeves, to whose history all writers on Newfoundland owe so much,
was appointed the first Chief Justice; but he remained in the island
only till 1792, when he was succeeded by ex-surgeons, collectors of
customs, and merchants. In 1809 a perpetual Act was passed, which
purported to abolish definitely the diverse and sporadic
jurisdictions; but such is the force of old customs and practices that
it was not till 1824 that the old Session Courts, Courts of Surrogates
and of fishing-admirals were finally extinguished, and at the same
time two assistant judges were appointed to aid the Chief Justice, and
all three judges were to be English or Irish barristers. A Court of
Civil Jurisdiction was also created for Labrador. We may recall here
the observations of Chief Justice Reeves on the fishing-admirals:
"They are ever the servants of the merchants. Justice was not to be
expected from them; and a poor planter or inhabitant, who was
considered little better than a law-breaker in being such, had but a
small chance of justice in opposition to any great west-country
merchant. They considered that Newfoundland was theirs, and that all
the planters were to be spoiled and devoured at their pleasure." It
must be recorded that this most just and necessary reform in judicial
administration was vainly but bitterly opposed by the merchants at
home.

In 1793 came the war with revolutionary France, and Newfoundland was