APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 



Ill 



tional satisfaction from reflecting 

 that these advantages will be com- 

 bined with many other national ob- 

 jects of the greatest magnitude. 

 They, therefore, proceed to recom- 

 mend those measures which in their 

 judgement appear best adapted to 

 produce an immediate extension of 

 tlie fishery, and to provide for the 

 supply being generally distributed as 

 expeditiously as possible over difler- 

 ent parts of the kingdom. 



A very material advantage will 

 be secured to the adventurers by 

 allowing them the use of duty-free 

 salt, for curing herrings in bulk as 

 well as in barrel, in such limited 

 quantities as not to occasion the 

 danger of considerable fraud on the 

 revenue. 



With respect to the quantity pro- 

 per to be allowed, your committee 

 have examined some of the officers 

 of revenue most conversant with the 

 ' subject, and from their testimony, 

 supported by the evidence given to 

 former committees, it results, that 

 sixty-live pounds of salt are suffi- 

 cient to preserve a cran of herrings 

 during the voyage from the Forth 

 to any part of the coast of England, 

 and for some weeks after their ar- 

 rival, and to allow in ordinary cases 

 for sucli waste as is unavoidable. 

 This allowance your committee 

 therefiu'e recommend as proper to 

 be granted by the express provisions 

 of an act of parliament. 



An additional encouragement 

 will 1)e given, by relieving persons 

 disposed toengagcin thisadventure, 

 from the apprelieiision of Ijcing 

 pressed into his majesty's naval 

 service. 



Your committee therefore think it 

 liighly expedient tliat ))ersons will- 

 ing to proceed to the I''irtli of Forth 

 should be protected against the 



impress during tbeir passage to the 

 Forth, their employment in the 

 fishery, and their return, if effected 

 within a reasonable time. An order 

 to this effect has been already given 

 by the board of admiralty, but your 

 committee think it may be advisable 

 to establish this protection by act of 

 parliament. In order to encourage 

 the greatest number of adventurers 

 to repair to the Forth, directions 

 have been given by the treasury to 

 the officers of the customs on the 

 eastern coast of the island, to give 

 notice to all fishers, or other persons 

 owning boats capable of being so 

 employed, of the great profit to be 

 derived from that fishery, and of the 

 indulgencies proposed to be granted 

 to them, and to procure conveyance 

 to Leith for such as are will iiig to 

 euirase in it : and two officers in the . 

 revenue, particularly conversant m 

 this business, have been dispatched 

 to those parts of the coast for the same 

 purposes, with directions to purcliase 

 and send to Leith the nets of such 

 fishermen as they may not be able 

 to induce to repair there. 



But the obtaining from the sea 

 as large a stock of fish as can by any 

 means be procured, though an es- 

 sential, is by no means the only ob- 

 ject requiring the attention of par- 

 liament in this branch of the inquiries 

 of your committee. The most abun- 

 dant supply may, to a great degree, 

 be rendered useless, so far as the 

 internal provision of the country is 

 concerned, unless proper means are 

 employed to regulateitsdistributioti 

 and arrangement, and to remove the 

 prejudices v^hicli at first usually op- 

 pose the introduction of a new ar- 

 ticle of food. 



'I'his your committee tliink will 

 be best effected I)y tlie activity of 

 voluntary associations of individuals 



