THE FISHERY INTERESTS OP, AUSTRIA. 661 



and streams of any Austrian province, and, in former times, had, besides 

 these streams, more than 15,000 acres of ponds. These latter have 

 gradually been decreased to 000 acres ; most of the ground gained by 

 draining the ponds being planted with corn, which, so far, has not 

 proved a very profitable speculation. 



The majority of the population, especially in the rural districts, belong 

 to the Greek Church, and have to observe one hundred and ninety -four 

 strict fast-days during the year, so that the demand for fish is conse- 

 quently very large. It has been estimated that $56,000 worth of fish 

 is annually imported into Bukowina from Moldavia and the cities on 

 the North Sea. On account of their high price, these fish are mostly 

 eaten only by the wealthier classes. 



The agricultual society at Czernowitz deserves great praise for hav- 

 ing recently given its full attention to the fisheries hitherto neglected. 



With the exception of the ponds and a few mountain streams, nearly 

 all waters in Bukowina are almost entirely deprived of their former 

 wealth of fish by reason of the utter want of system in all matters 

 pertaining to the fisheries ; and it will take a long time for a fishing-law 

 to gain ground. 



In Bohemia, the revised law of Ferdinand II, dated May 19, 1627, was, 

 till the year 1848, considered the constitution of the country. In con- 

 sequence of the events which took place then, the political rights of the 

 assembly were limited, but the rights of private persons {jura priva- 

 torum) were not touched, as will be seen from the preface of the law 

 and from a comparison of its provisions with those of Maximilian's 

 ordinance of 15G4, and King Vladislaw's ordinance of 1500, which served 

 as bases for the former, as well as from the charters of the Bohemian 

 cities. In all these laws, the fisheries are protected against " arrogance 

 and violence." 



This protection, however, was only afforded to members of the assem- 

 bly in their relations toward each other, and, according to Maximilian's 

 ordinance, especially against their vassals and their servants ; the vas- 

 sals themselves had at that time no property of their own, and could 

 only exceptionally enjoy the usufruct of property given to them by their 

 masters for a short period, but could never be the actual possessors of 

 any lands. 



The laws of Maria Theresa and Joseph II were the first to afford 

 thorough protection to subjects and their property; the ordinance of 

 November 1, 1781, abolishing serfdom, gave a firmer basis to the 

 security of subjects; and the common law declared that they might 

 also hold property. 



Thus it came that the fishing-privileges were transferred from their 

 originally exclusive owners, the landed proprietors and the cities, to 

 private individuals, by gift, sale, or exchange; and that they were exer- 

 cised tie facto on the ground of these various titles.* 



* See Bericht der znr Revision der Fischereigesetze fur Bohmen gevriihlteu Laudtags- 

 comuiission of February 14, 1886, 



