216 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



in a purely economic light, and to suggest a course of action in regard 

 to these societies which I am inclined to think would tend to establish 

 them on a satisfactoi^y footing and promote their well-being, as it would 

 operate iri the direction of preventing the undue increase of small, weak 

 societies, and thus strengthen and widen the sphere of usefulness of the 

 larger and older ones. 



WELLTNGrTON, jSTeW ZEALAND, JwiC 1, ISSG. 



7'J.— AlV ACT KEf^ATIlVCl TO TBEE IMPORTIIVO AIVO I^AIVDINO OF 



ITIACKERET. CAITCJMT ]3)tTKIIV« THE SPA^VIVIIVG SEASOIV. 



Be it enacted hy the Senate and Houne of Ecprescntatives of the United 

 States of America in Congress assembled, That for the period of five years 

 from and after the first day of March, eighteen hundre<l and eighty- 

 seven, no mackerel other than what is known as Spanish mackerel, 

 caught between the first day of IMarch and the first day of June, in- 

 clusive, of each year, shall bo imported into the United States or landed 

 upon its shores: Provided, hoicever, That nothing in this act shall be 

 held to apply to mackerel caught off-shore with hook and line, from 

 open row-boats of less than twentry" feet keel,* and landed in said boats. 



Sec. 2. That section forty-three hundred and twenty-one of the Ee- 

 vised Statutes is amended, for the period of five years aforesaid, so as 

 to read before the last sentence as follows : " This license does not grant 

 the right to fish for mackerel, other than for what is known as S])anish 

 mackerel, between the first day of March and the first day of June, 

 inclusive, of this year." Or in lieu of the ioregoing there shall be in- 

 serted so much of said period of time as may remain unexpired under 

 this act. 



Sec. 3. That the penalty for the violation or attemi)ted violation of 

 this act shall be forfeiture of license on the part of the vessel engaged 

 in said violation, if a vessel of this country, and the forfeiture to the 

 TJnite<I States, according to law, of the mackerel imported or lauded, or 

 sought to be imported or landed. 



Sec. 4. That all laws in conflict with this law are hereby repealed. 



Passed the House of Representatives May 21, 188G. 



On July 29, 1880, Mr. Thomas W. Palmer, from the Committee on 

 Fisheries, submitted to the Senate the following report: 



This bill is designed to prevent the taking of mackerel by seines and 

 purse-nets between the first days of March and June of the five years 

 succeeding its enactment. It is urged with practical unanimity by the 

 vessel-owners and fishermen engaged in this industry, and is opposed 

 only by commission dealers in fresh fish. 



* Horc tliti SiMKilo Coiniiiilteii on Fislieries striiclc out the worda "opeu row-boats 

 of less tliau twenty feet keel," and insoited tbo word " boats" instead. 



