FISHING STATIONS— SCOTLAND. 315 



between January and May were unwholesome and unfit 

 for food. But an inquiry into all the circumstances of 

 the case clearly showed that the promoters of the Bill 

 for establishing close-time were the curers alone, who 

 held meeting's of their own body and, without consult- 

 ing the fishermen, pressed forward a measure which 

 sacrificed everyone's interest to their own. It was one 

 of the most unhappy episodes in the history of the 

 Scotch Fisheries ; but fortunately the effects of the close- 

 time were soon made known, and after a short expe- 

 rience it was found impossible to enforce a law which 

 brought misery and starvation to the homes of a coast 

 population, many of whom previously could only 

 manage to gain a bare subsistence by hard and un- 

 remitting toil. The law remained practically in abey- 

 ance for a time, and no prosecutions for infringing it 

 were carried on pending the result of the Report of the 

 Royal Commission in 1862 on Herring Trawling. In 

 1864 this question of close-time came before the Royal 

 Commission for inquiry into the condition of the Sea 

 Fisheries generally ; and such overwhelming evidence 

 of the evil effects of the close-time on the fishermen 

 was brought before the Commissioners, that, in antici- 

 pation of their complete Report, they did not hesitate 

 to bring the subject before the Government with the 

 view to some relief being given before the question 

 could be finally disposed of. This resulted in instruc- 

 tions being given not to enforce the law ; and in the 

 following Session of Parliament a Bill was passed by 

 which close-time was entirely abolished north of Ard- 

 namurchan Point. This included all the Inner and 

 Outer Hebrides, where the restriction had been so 

 severely felt. South of that part of the coast close- 

 time was continued as before with the exception of 



