Memorials were presented to the governor, by the justices of _St. John’s_, complaining that they were obstructed in their duty by the fishing admirals, who had taken upon them the whole power and authority of the justices, bringing under their cognizance all riots, breaches of the peace, and other offences, and had seized, fined, and whipped at their pleasure; they had likewise appointed public-houses to sell liquor, without any licence from the justices; the admirals told the justices, _they_ were only _winter justices_, and seemed to doubt of the governor’s authority for appointing; that the authority of the admirals was by act of parliament—the _governor’s_ only from the privy council[53]. This distinction in the authority from whence they derived their power, was thought sufficient for the admirals to presume upon; and the comparative pretensions of them and the justices were rated accordingly in the minds of the ignorant and malicious[54]. The towns in the west were not backward to join in this clamour against the justices; they complained that the governor had taken the power out of the hands of the fishing admirals, and vested it in the justices, who had proceeded in an arbitrary way to tax the servants and inhabitants; had issued out their warrants not only against servants, but against the masters of vessels themselves, in the midst of their fishery; to their great prejudice, and in defiance of the admirals and the act of parliament. They suggested that these justices were, some of them New England men; and none of them ever coming to England, as the admirals did, there was no redress to be obtained against them for their illegal proceedings. They said, some of the justices supplied the fishermen and seamen with liquor at exorbitant rates, though the merchants would supply them at a moderate advance. After stating such plausible topics, which, it was well known, would always be listened to when Newfoundland was in question; they prayed, “That such justices might have no power during the stay of the fishing ships; but that the admirals might resume their authority, and that the commodore and captains of men of war should be ordered to be aiding and assisting to them therein[55].” [Sidenote: Opinion on the authority of the admirals.]