254 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



"2. In accordance with a request made by the respective local au- 

 thorities, the above-uieutioued period may be extended iu the different 

 districts by the king, but it shall in no place last longer than from July 

 1 to September 30. 



"3. The fishing or selling of lobsters during a period when it is for- 

 bidden in accordance with § 1 and 2 is punished with a fine of 24 cents 

 for every lobster caught or offered for sale contrary to law. 



" 4. All cases arising from transgressions of the regulations con- 

 tained iu § 1 and 2 must be brought before the police courts. If any one 

 is accused of such transgression, the chief of police in the district shall 

 get his declaration whether he is willing to pay the fines. If he is will- 

 ing and does not possess the necessary amount of money, it shall be 

 levied on his property. If, on the other baud, the accused denies his 

 guilt, or refuses to pay, the above-mentioned officer shall have the mat- 

 ter investigated and settled. The fines shall be divided between the 

 informer and the local poor-fund. 



"5. During the period when in accordance with § 1 and 2 it is forbidden 

 to catch or offer for sale lobsters, as well as during eight days following 

 the end of this period, it shall likewise be forbidden to ship lobsters to 

 foreign parts. Attempted or actual transgression of this article shall 

 be punished in the same manner as provided in the law of September 20, 

 1845, regarding attempted or actual smuggling. 



" 6. This law shall take effect January 1, 1849." 



In the committee to which the royal proposition was assigned for con- 

 sideration, the first two articles were changed, so as to make the season 

 of protection stricter. In the royal proposition, the local authorities 

 could under special circumstances propose that the season of protection 

 be extended to the mouths before and after August; but the committee 

 were of the opinion that the law should be enforced during a longer 

 period, but in special cases the local authorities might propose that it 

 should be limited to the month of August, to such a degree had public 

 opinion changed in favor of such a protective law. 



When the matter was discussed in the Storthing April 29, 1848, not a 

 voice was raised against a protective law, but the discussion was chiefly 

 as to whether the law should be adopted in its stricter form as recom- 

 mended by the committee, or as proposed by the government. The law 

 was finally adopted in the form recommended by the committee, modified 

 by an amendment that the season of protection should last from July 15 

 till the end of September. The first portion of § 5 was also changed so 

 as to read as follows: "Eight days after the beginning of the period 

 during which iu accordance with § 1 and 2 it is forbidden to catch lob- 

 sters or offer them for sale till eight days after the end of this period, it 

 shall be likewise forbidden to ship lobsters to foreign parts." As for the 

 rest, the law was passed in the shape recommended by the committee ; 

 a motion to change the above-mentioned eight days to twelve days or 



