monarchs had derived large revenues from allowing 

 foreign nations to fish on the Irish coasts. In the tin\e 

 of Charles i^Sooo was given by the Spanish monarch to 

 allow a certain number of Spanish vessels to fish there, 

 and in about 1640 the Swedish Government, in return for 

 services rendered to England, was allowed to send a 

 certain number also. Frenchmen and Flemings fished 

 extensively there, and the important pilchard fishery, 

 which Mr. Walsh had not touched upon, was carried on 

 very extensively by the Dutch, and even now in certain 

 parts of the county of Cork there were remains of what 

 were called fish palaces, where the Dutch used to cure the 

 fish. He did not wish to awaken old and bitter memories, 

 but it was quite impossible, in dealing with the fishery 

 question, to omit the fact that down to a very recent 

 period, so far from the fisheries being encouraged by 

 the Government, they were absolutely discouraged and 

 depressed. It seemed to be the idea that the fisheries 

 of Ireland were to be for the benefit of every one save 

 and except the Irish themselves. The Cromwellian Par- 

 liament was inundated with petitions that the Irish 

 fisheries might be suppressed in consequence of their com- 

 petition with the English, and under a commonwealth ordi- 

 nance there was an immense amount of suppression ; many 

 fishermen were sent to Connaught, and others transported 

 to Barbados and the other West Indian islands. He would 

 not go further into these matters, but he merely stated 

 them for the purpose of showing that there was a strong 

 claim on Imperial assistance now, for the purpose of 

 forwarding the long-neglected and even repressed Irish 

 fisheries. One circumstance would prove why these 

 fisheries ought to be helped as a matter of Imperial 

 interest. It was an unquestionable fact that the fisheries 



