"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 treaty into operation, but will permit the
trifling privileges that remain to us to continue unimpaired."

In 1858 took place a real advance in the relations between different
parts of the Empire, for in that year the east coast of Newfoundland
(Trinity Bay) was connected with Ireland by a submarine cable. The
messages then exchanged through Newfoundland between the Queen and the
President of the United States mark the most decisive point in what
has been called the shrinkage of the world. Eight years later a second
Atlantic cable was successfully landed at Heart's Content.

A constitutional crisis arose in 1860, which was followed by serious
political disturbances. The Government, in which Mr Kent was Premier,
introduced a measure to determine the colonial equivalent of imperial
sterling in the payment of officials. The judges forwarded to the
Governor, Sir Alexander Bannerman, a representation against the
proposal; Mr Kent thereupon in the Assembly accused the Governor of
having entered into a conspiracy with the judges and the minority in
the House against the executive. The Governor demanded an explanation
which Mr Kent declined to give, adding that in his judgment he was
not called upon to explain his utterances as a member of the