THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 257 



Traders, and made them shun the notion of having a Board 

 at all. 



These men of thorough measures did not, however, 

 ultimately carry the day. The Fishery Bill was debated on 

 March 7th, 1857 ; and facultative assay of herring, as well 

 as an advising College, obtained a majority. On the other 

 hand, a learned and lengthy speech by a member versed in 

 natural history settled the fate of restrictions on trawling 

 and shrimping, and they were removed by amendment. 

 The law, as ultimately adopted,* simply established the 

 entire liberty of all sea fishery in the largest sense of the 

 word, and repealed all prohibitions of the importation of sea- 

 fish. Next it established facultative assays of herring caught 

 in Dutch vessels, and instituted a College to appoint assayers 

 and generally promote the sea-fisheries' interests by advising 

 Government in matters relative to them. The Bill on 

 Customs duties on fish underwent some vicissitudes. It was 

 amended so as at once to abolish all such duties ; and the 

 amendment was carried in the Lower House by a majority 

 of one vote. The Upper House, or First Chamber of the 

 States-General, then rejected the Bill by a slight majority. 

 Government brought it in once more, in its primitive 

 wording, in September 1857, when a fresh conflict was 

 avoided by an amendment reducing duties on salt-herring 

 and " rommeling " to half the amounts proposed. Their 

 entire abolition took place two years afterwards.f 



Provincial regulations were repealed soon after the new 

 law was passed, as contrary to its purport ; and a new law 

 as a base for future administrative rules on the immunity of 



* Dated June i3th, 1857 (Staatsblad, No. 86). An error in the text 

 was removed by law of August I3th, 1857 (Staatsblad, No. 102). 



t Laws of Dec. nth, 1857 (Staatsblad, No. 122) and Dec. 23rd, 

 1859 (Staatsblad t No. 136). 



