Le Comte de Saint Pierre 49

and costs without giving him a hearing. On appeal to the Council in Louisburg the case was decided against him; but on appeal to the King both judg- ments were annulled and a hearing granted in Quebec.**

Comte de Saint Pierre then carried his complaints to the King and in March, 1722, received an inter- pretation of his grants of 1719 and 1720 to the effect that he was to have the exclusive monopoly of fishing and commerce within a league of the coasts of all the islands within his concession; and in addition the waters between Isle Saint Jean and the Magdalens were declared a mare clauswm. Within these limits all other fishermen and traders whether from France or Ile Royale were forbidden to enter subject to con- fiscation of their boats, supplies, and equipment.**

These incidents led the King to establish a sub- delegate of the intendant in Isle Saint Jean, who should have power to try such cases subject to ap- peal to the King, thereby making the colony inde- pendent of Ile Royale. On March 10, 1722, Sieur Robert Poitier Dubuisson was appointed sub-dele- gate of the intendant of New France in Isle Saint Jean to administer both civil and criminal justice, with power to appoint a recorder, a prosecutor, and a notary until the King could make further pro- vision.**

In the preceding autumn de Gotteville had asked

13 B, Vol. 452, pp. 164-169. 14 B, Vol. 453, pp. 159-163. 15 B, Vol. 452, pp. 176-178,