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by the operations of man. The other section of the com- 

 munity to which I have referred seems also to be filled 

 with the notion that the fisheries cannot flourish without 

 the direct patronage and encouragement of the State or 

 individuals. I should like to say a few words on each of 

 these points. On the first of them I should like to add 

 my humble testimony, for what it may be worth, to the 

 wise words which have already been addressed to you by 

 my friend and late colleague, the President of the Royal 

 Society. I do not believe that the fisheries of the ocean 

 can ever be exhausted by any operations which man is 

 likely to undertake, and I am quite sure that the ocean 

 is producing still as abundantly the moving creature that 

 hath life, as it did when the first chapter of Genesis was 

 written. I do, therefore, hope that whatever may be the 

 outcome of this Exhibition, and of these Conferences, that 

 no steps may be taken to impose unnecessary restrictions 

 on fishermen, but that fishermen may be left, in Professor 

 Huxley's words, to go on fishing where they like, when 

 they like, and how they like. I do not mean that there 

 are not minor points on which an exception may not be 

 made to the rule — exceptions may be made to most 

 general propositions of this character, though as a general 

 proposition, I desire to support as strongly as I can 

 Professor Huxley's advice. 



But I wish further to say a few words to those bene- 

 volent individuals, for whom I have the greatest possible 

 respect, who are always endeavouring to foster fisheries 

 where they do not exist, by a patronage which I believe 

 to be fatal to their prosperity. The fishermen of this 

 country have risen to independence by their own industry ; 

 do not do them, I beseech you, the disservice of teaching 

 them to be dependent on your charity. We can easily 



