1zZ 
of their proceedings. If you were to read the report of the 
Sea Fisheries authorities, you would think the men were a 
set of fiends; that they were simply destroying the contents 
of the sea for their own will and pleasure, whereas the 
truth is that, in the first place the destruction is infinitely 
less than it is represented as being; in the second 
place, compared with the other destructive forces, the 
destruction made by fishermen is inappreciable, though 
alone it might appear to be considerable, and in the 
third place, legislation does not affect the preservation 
that it is represented to do, and its cruelty to the fisher- 
men cannot be justified. There is nothing else like it in 
English law. 
When these bye-laws were passed (to demonstrate to 
you that they were passed by people who knew- nothing at 
all about what they were doing), it was decided that the 
Superintendent should have a steamer in order to ‘ protect 
the fisheries.” I was at Fleetwood soon after, and happened 
to be standing on the beach chatting witn one of the fisher- 
men, when a pretty little steamer similar to those on 
Windermere, but such a thing as I never saw on the open 
sea, Came steaming up the channel witha big ensign flying. 
I asked, ‘“‘ What in the world is that?” The fisherman 
turned’ round and said, .‘*’That is the. Lancashire Sea 
Fisheries'Steamer.’’ I said, ‘‘ That ?”’: ** Yes.” *“* You do not 
mean to say that is their idea of a steamer for investigating 
