44 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



market of the article in the country, and have it exported 

 from the Dutch emporiums only. 



The first-named and chief pre-occupation of the suc- 

 cessive Dutch governments had indeed been apparent, 

 besides laws, from several facts on record previous to the 

 Republic's establishment. In 1552 it was reported that 

 citizens of Antwerp had presumed to tamper with the 

 town brand of Dordrecht, erasing it from certain herring- 

 barrels and substituting another mark for it, " notwith- 

 standing the brand of Dordt is older and more authentic, 

 and known all over Germany, France and other countries." 

 Dordrecht laid the matter before the States of Holland, 

 who thought it of sufficient importance to send their 

 Advocate (whose functions had some analogy with those 

 of a Secretary of State) to Brussels on purpose to obtain 

 redress.* In the next years regular lawsuits were carried 

 on against the authorities of Malines, Ghent, Flushing and 

 Nieuwpoort respectively, for having repacked herring from 

 Holland in other barrels,! thereby enhancing their Zealand 

 and Flemish marks or brands with the excellence of the 

 Hollands produce, and perhaps using the empty barrels 

 marked with the Hollands brand to pass off foreign fish 

 of inferior quality. Again, in 1582, the States of Holland 

 intervened in a lawsuit then pending between certain 

 citizens of Spires and Worms, in the heart of Germany, 

 about the quality of herrings bought and sold between 

 them, merely because the herring in question bore a Dutch 

 brand.if 



The importance of the salt-herring fishery and trade 



* Res. Holl. 1552, pp. 482-3. 



f Res. Holl. 1554, p. 584; I555/P- 697 ; 1561, pp. 480, 517 ; 1565, 



P- 33- 



% Res. Holland 1582, pp. 241, 248. 



