82 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



Matters became still worse for them when Hamburg- began 

 to take liberties with the treaty of 1609, and admit Scotch 

 herring without the certificate required by the treaty with 

 the Republic, which infraction seems to have been pretty 

 habitual in the first years of the eighteenth century. The 

 British Ambassador at Hamburg appears to have employed 

 himself in favour of these imports, and the Senate for some 

 time closed their eyes on them, whereby Holland was in 

 danger of losing the considerable advantage inherent to 

 having no early rivals in the Hamburg herring market. 



The Republic's Ambassador at Hamburg in 1715 detected 

 what was going on. He straightway reported matters to 

 the States-General, and upon their instructions insisted 

 with the Hamburg Government upon the strict observation 

 of the treaty of 1609. England, he urged, in virtue of her 

 treaties with Hamburg, was not entitled to any more 

 favourable treatment than the Republic, or to have her 

 herring admitted under conditions refused to Dutch and 

 other herring upon the terms of the treaty. This was true 

 enough, and indeed made out a strong case for the Republic ; 

 but she spoilt it by adding another argument based upon 

 her adversary's interest as interpreted by herself. The 

 States instructed their diplomatic agent to represent that 

 the Dutch regulations imposed by treaty upon the Hamburg 

 market had been observed there for a century, and found 

 beneficial for that market as well as for the trade in 

 Holland. Being averse to let Dutchmen manage their 

 own interests in the herring concern, the States could not 

 see that Hamburgers were perhaps the best judges of theirs. 

 After some exchange of memorials, Hamburg on October 

 25th, I/I5) pledged herself henceforward strictly to observe 

 the treaty. But even admitting this pledge to have been 

 quite sincere, it was impossible to fulfil it against the 



