THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 139 



convoy by the organ of its commissioners,* and as Maassluis 

 (then not yet a " herring town ") was likewise the seat 

 of the above-mentioned board, both names are perhaps 

 indicative of one corporation. At any rate, the body 

 representative of the several cod-fisheries was, like the 

 Herring College, invested with more extensive powers in 

 the course of time. In July 1678, during the protracted 

 negotiations with France at Nijmegen, we find them 

 engaged in negotiations with the States of Holland to 

 obtain French passports ; and when these were not 

 obtained fast enough by diplomatic correspondence, the 

 Committee offered to apply for the documents themselves.f 

 On Sept. 5th, 1695, the treasurer and commissioners of the 

 fishery at Maassluis were empowered by the States of 

 Holland to levy, collect, or farm a tax of one penny per 

 barrel of salt fish, including several kinds of cod-fish, 

 plaice, and in general " everything that is salted be- 

 tween two bottoms," cured-herring of course excepted, 

 which never was called " fish ' in any publication of 

 the period, and was moreover already subject to last- 

 money under the herring laws. The contribution was to 

 be due upon the fish being unshipped at Maassluis, and so 

 bore the character of a local staple-duty. Annex to it, the 

 Commissioners were entitled to levy the 4Oth penny 

 on all fresh fish brought to market at Maassluis, whether 

 alive or dead, and moreover to collect " ship-money " to the 

 amount of fl. 12, upon each herring buss, and fl. 8 upon 

 each hooker sailing either for herring or to Iceland. The 

 privilege was granted anew for twelve years on Dec. i/th, 

 17064 I should incline to conclude from these facts, 



: Res. Holl. 1636, p. 394, 413. 

 t Ibid. July 8, 1678. 

 \ Gr. Plb. v. p. 730. 



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