THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 191 



of the Side," of whose often very miserable condition we 

 have had evidence in a former part of this work, had to go 

 without any relief from Government. It might have been 

 found advisable under such circumstances to let Zuider Zee 

 fishermen at least have the full benefit of the exceptionally 

 sheltered position of their fishing water. But, as shown 

 above, the spirit of monopoly bore them down and kept 

 them within the old legislative trammels, even when they 

 were virtually the only branch of sea fishery still in action. 



In the midst of this general stand-still of the business 

 the legislative bodies gave birth to a very prolix and 

 detailed fishery law, viz., the Publication of July 28th, 1801 ; 

 the preparation of which, although it was mainly a repetition 

 of existing regulations, had lasted since the summer of 1800. 

 This law has been in vigour for a very few years only, and 

 during the fisheries' greatest decay. It is nevertheless 

 important in the history of Dutch fishery legislation for 

 more reasons than one. In the first place, it is a thorough 

 proof that the Revolution had brought no change whatever 

 into the fishers' and fish dealers' notions. Secondly, the 

 law is, so to say, a crystallisation of the various statutes 

 and rules which emanated on the subject under the republic 

 of the United Netherlands, and reflects the whole of the 

 herring legislation from its beginning downwards ; while 

 in its turn it has been the model for Acts of later date. 

 Thirdly, the law of July 28th, 1801, contains many clauses 

 apparently taken from bye-laws made by the ancient 

 College of the Grand Fishery, of which I have not found 

 the text in any official publication of earlier date. 



The greater part of this herring law of 1801 is a 

 faithful, and in many clauses a literal reproduction of the 

 placards on the Grand Fishery of 1582 and following 

 years, the contents of which have been exposed at some 



