THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 247 



the budget for 1854 before the States-General ; and the 

 result was a sharp debate on December 3rd, 1853, in the 

 course of which an amendment to continue the reduction 

 of bounties was moved, and rejected by a majority of only 

 one vote.* The Minister's principal reason for leaving 

 matters in statu quo for the nonce was, that he saw a 

 rashness in a farther reduction of premiums unless attended 

 by repeal of the fishery regulation laws, which thorough 

 measure was not as yet warranted by the information 

 obtained by Government inquiry. The debate once more 

 showed the extreme anxiety of a strong majority in the 

 Second Chamber to go through with the matter, and have 

 done with the fishery laws ; and this moved Government, 

 at the outset of the year 1854 to appoint a Royal 

 Committee to inquire into the question " whether all 

 sea-fishery laws and regulations could be repealed al- 

 together, or whether it was desirable to maintain, or re- 

 enact any part of them."f 



Parties immediately concerned in sea-fishery, as may be 

 readily supposed, had not in the meantime been silent in 

 the debate. Both the actual reduction of premiums and 

 the proposed repeal of protective laws, were the object 

 of violent criticism and passionate appeal by the organs of 

 the fishery interest. Kemper's advice in favour of the law 

 of 1818, although given in circumstances long gone by, 

 and overthrown by forty years' experience, did daily 

 service in this discussion. The importance of the fisheries 

 as an ancient branch of genuine national industry, as 

 having been once the " principal gold-mine of the country," 



* Handelingen van de Tiveede Kamer, 1853-4, p. 288 sqq. 



t Royal Decree of February 9th, 1854, No. 57. The Committee's 

 Report was published 1854, and has been quoted more than once in 

 the course of this work. 



