IXXIll 



sl:i(.einftils (nr llic disl liuL^: nC Vi7,nfj;i]i!ir:im, (loilMVcri, Nclliil', (^iiil- 

 ilMpnli, Kuriial, (':in:u;i, Mini JNlnlnlmr, niid in scvcimI (list rids (Jio 

 wliolo snl>ic(;l, is inadeiiiiatoly iiI.IoikIlmI (o. 'I'lio BoanI Miiiik, that wil.li 

 oaro, a larfiv ])ins|icc(ivo income may 1)0 iclicnl on from fliis somco, while 

 (he taxes and licenses may he kept so low as to he anythii)<j hut 

 oppressive. 



147. With rcf^ard to the districts from which no fishery rents are 

 „. , „ , r I, received, it will he iicccssary to refer, as a 



Iliiiird ill 18 IH, ns tn wlint. Yf'nP.nn, io ihii (Jircuhir Urilcr.1 nj (fin JSoard oj 

 lisliciics were to be let, and wliiit llevCIIUC. On Novcmhcr 27 th, 18'1'H, Collcct- 



'™"- ors were rc(|acsted " to take mcasnics (o 



iutrodnco, in fnlnre, the system of disposinq- of villag-e, tank, and cliannel 

 lislu'rics on rent, should such a course not have been hitherto adoiitcd." 

 I>ut to the ' Collector of North Arcofc, on receiving his letters of Decem- 

 ber 8th and January 29th, 1819, the Board observed, they " will not 

 press the extension of the renting system in respect to the tank fisheries 

 of North Arcot, but will leave it to the discretion of the Acting Collector 

 to continue llie management of that brancli of revenue in tlie manner 

 which appears to him best suited to the circumstances of his district." 

 In rcjily to a letter from the Collector of (Jnntur, dated January 2!)tli, 

 18 I!), the Board did " not consider it advisable to revise (he ]iiaetico of 

 renting the taidt and channel fisheries in Guntur." The Agent in 

 Kurnal was directed " not to take any measures for renting the fisheries 

 of his district," whilst the Collector of Bellary was " not to make any 

 (b'mand on tliis bead ujion fisheries (hat have not heretofore lieen subject 

 (o(a.x." Again, in 1 S(i;>, (lie following was circulated to all Collectors: — 

 " 'I'lie ]?oar(l are decidedly op])osed to any extension of the fishery rents, 

 .•ind more esiiecially so where involving in any form the rc-impositioii of 

 the burden from which the abolition of the moturpha tax relieved the 

 poorer classes." [|Thc CoUccior of Madras, June 1 Mb, 1809, obscrvi'd, 

 " it appears that some years ago it was ruled by the Secretary of State, 

 that the right of fishing was not to be rented out, excejit where the 

 |iractiee had been jirevionsly in vogue. I have not the Secretary of 

 State's despatch to refer to, but I suspect that it was really intended to 

 apply only to inland fisheries, such as village tanks, jungle sticams, and 

 channels, and was done probably in recognition of the jircscriptive rights 

 of the iiihabitants to enjoy the (ish within their limits without any tax."] 



148. As already observed, the Board objected to a d-ineb mesh 



being introduced ; so they were allowed 

 liisliuetions from licvoiuio („ modify the order, and they considered a 



I!o:ira to Collcetors rcspectincr ., • i i i rr* • ji ' ii • • 



t1,e fresli-w.tor (islicrics. .5-mchcd mcsh sufiiciently small as a mmi- 



mnm, and on December 18th the (ollowing 

 instructions were issued to Collectors with reference to fresh-water 

 fisheries: — " Notice should lie given that, from the 1st July 1870, the 

 right of fishing in all Government tanks, rivers, and streams having a 

 perennial snpjdy of water will be let by public auction fi)r a jiiMiod of 

 three years. Renters will be called to enter into agreements to abide by 

 (be general rules for the regulation of fisheries that may be jiasscd by 

 the i?oard, and to any orders issued by Collectors in reference (o special 

 localities. Tiie use of all nets having meshes less (li;ni three inches in 

 circumference (casting nets and prawn ne(s cxecptcdj should be prohi- 



