Vy, 
people now left who do not or will not see light in the 
darkness. 
Something, however, in Mr. Dawson’s report seems 
more serious than all that I have so far said. It is the very 
first principle of law-making that the law shall be workable, 
and that it shall be effectually enforced. If not, whatever 
it may be it is useless and demoralising. But as we read 
Mr. Dawson’s reports we find the most pitiful complaints 
that with all the costly staff and means at his disposal he 
cannot efficiently ‘‘ protect the fisheries.” He needs more 
steamers, more boats, more bailiffs to patrol the waters in 
fair weather, and more to lurk on shore in stormy weather 
to entrap the unwary and storm-tossed men who have 
brought a few undersized mussels into quiet water. He 
says with such an inefficient staff he can only pay ‘‘ surprise 
visits.” This means that if these Bye-Laws are to be 
effectually enforced, and there is no middle course, we must 
provide Messrs. Herdman and Dawson with a fleet of 
steamers and other vessels, and a small army of bailiffs ; we 
must pay tens of thousands where we now pay thousands of 
pounds, and must be prepared to see hundreds of fishermen 
prosecuted where we now see- scores, until all spirit, 
independence, and life is dragooned out of them, and they 
are kept down by a literal reign of terror. But further, if 
this is right on the Lancashire coast, it is right all round 
England. The cost will amount to hundreds of thousands 
