The governor’s authority, whatever it might be, was actually carried into effect, by an appointment of a court of common pleas, and judges, in the summer 1789. This court of common pleas transacted business during the following winter; but the western merchants preferred very heavy complaints against the proceedings of this court; what they alledge against it may be seen shortly stated in the representation afterwards made by the committee of trade, and now printed by order of the House of Commons. Their great objection, which they do _not_ state, but which I will venture to do for them is this; that they now saw a court established (as they believed) upon good authority, with which they could not trifle, as they had been used to do with the feeble judicatures before-mentioned; those inefficient courts they preferred, because they could make use of them when they needed their assistance, and could intimidate the justices, and obstruct their proceedings, whenever they themselves were to be the objects of animadversion. They had been in the habit of seeing this species of weakness and anarchy ever since Newfoundland was frequented, from father to son; it was favourable to their old impressions, that Newfoundland was _theirs_, and that all the planters and inhabitants were to be spoiled and devoured at _their_ pleasure; in support of this, they had opposed, as we have seen, every attempt at introducing order and government into that place. It was in this spirit, that they questioned the king’s right to appoint a civil governor, to appoint justices of the peace, to appoint commissioners of oyer and terminer; that they complained of the custom-house, and even talked of presenting it as a nuisance, because erected on ship’s room; that they treated Stat. 15, Geo. 3, as destructive to the fishery, because it compels the payment of servants’ wages; and that they brought forward a bill in 1785, in order to expose the servants once more to the will of their masters, as to the payment of their wages. These clamours were backed with the popular representation, that the fishery should be _free_, and that a fishery carried on from this country, as the western merchants carried it on, was the old and true policy for Newfoundland. But their claims to a free fishery seem to be these; namely, to be free of all inspection from government; no justices, no courts, no custom-house. This is what they mean, when they wish all _restraints_ to be taken off the fishery, so as they may carry it on upon the footing of Stat. 10 and 11 Will. 3. [Sidenote: Representation.]