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ascertain from past history what has come of patronage of 

 this kind. During the last century the British Legislature, 

 from the best motives, endeavoured to promote a fishery 

 for herrings on the west coast of Scotland ; two societies, 

 one of them with the Prince of Wales at its head, were 

 formed for the purpose, and large amounts of money were 

 subscribed, yet the objects of neither society were accom- 

 plished ; and, at the present moment, the west coast of 

 Scotland is being fished, and will be fished by boats from 

 the east coast of Scotland, where they had no aid of the 

 kind ever given to them. I do not like to refer to the 

 case of Ireland, for I have so much sympathy with that 

 country that I do not like to seem to say anything which 

 might be thought injurious to any Irishman ; but I cannot 

 help saying that while you are endeavouring to foster 

 Irish fisheries now by State patronage, the Irish seas are 

 being swept by English, Scotch, and Manx boats ; by 

 fishermen who have an hereditary aptitude for fishing, and 

 into whose hands the fish trade is consequently passing. 

 While, therefore, I am opposed on the one hand to the 

 imposition of unnecessary restrictions on fishermen, so I 

 am opposed on the other to all patronage simply as such, 

 because I believe the best part of the British fishermen 

 is the independence which they enjoy ; and God forbid 

 that the independence which they have v/on by their own 

 efforts should be taken away from them by the patronage 

 of other people. 



