( 91 ) 



llionisolvos of llicir nufhorit-y to prncliso oxlorlion niid op- 

 ])ross tlic poor, and never really repress the dcstriictioJi of 

 iisli. That the police Avould find in such a law the means 

 of extortion in Oudli (p. cxxxi). That in the North- Western 

 Provinces, their caste is so good that they conld not bo 

 expected to interfere regarding fish, cxco]it to cause op- 

 pression (p. cli). In Mirzapur (p. elxiii), that to carry out 

 rules, the police or revenue establishments who might have 

 to see to it are so venal, that they would expect to obtain 

 fish Avithout payment. lu Azimgurh, that any establish- 

 ments " would be mere engines of oppression and extortion" 

 (p. clxv). One olfieial (p. clxx) considers the State has novv 

 enough to do " in carrying through public measures that are 

 not supported by the opinion of the country ;" therefore, regu- 

 lating the fisheries should be poslponed : another (p. clxx), 

 that it is undesirable that the public mind should be disturb- 

 ed " by gratuitous interference on the part of an alien ad- 

 mi lu'stratiou, enforced by not very trustworthy agency." In 

 short, several of the oflicials of this province consider the 

 ])olice, and subordinate natives under their supervi- 

 sion a)id control, are so very untrustworthy that regulations 

 would eventuate in unlimited extortion 1 That it would bo 

 imkind to the very poor to prohibit the capture of fry, and 

 enjoy the fish whilst obtainable without trouble ; thus, in 

 Madras, in the Coimbatore CoUectorate (p. Ixxxvii), "the 

 Collectors, out of consideration for the poorer classes, have 

 refrained from letting out tanks and streams," doubtless com- 

 mendable in a philanthropic spirit, if to-day's requirements 

 irrespective of to-morrow's wants is the only question, but, 

 unfortunately, permitting unlimited license has ended in un- 

 limited waste. The fishermen in Madras (p. Ixxviii) are 

 said to be an impoverished class, so they will consider that 

 Avere renting re-imposed it Avould be a grievance : their 

 jiosition in the social scale is not high in the Central Provinces, 

 so it is a question Avhethcr im])roving the fisheries Avill lead 

 to their condition being bettered or the reverse. 



XCII. Eighthly, that the fishermen ply their trade as 

 they always have done, consequently, 



Fishermen's olijections. .. , ,.,', . . ,, ^ , ' 



as hsh still remaui in the Avaters, no 

 interference is desirable (p. cxxx). This, however, is an 

 assertion much similar to those ansAvers which the Govern- 

 ment received in 18G8, that the supply of fish Avas hardly 

 decreasing anyAvhere ; in fact, that in some places it Avas 

 augmenting, — general replies, in fact, Avliich, unfortunately, 



