T792' euloglum on the minister. 155 



as respects the fillieries, scarcely felt as a grievance. But 

 that it is so, the few following facts will tell ; nor can 

 they be controverted. 



The legislature of Great Britain has been long per- 

 suaded, that unlefs the salt employed in the fifheries (hall 

 be^ allowed to go duty free, it would be impofsible ever 

 to bring fifh cured by us to market, at such a price 

 as to stand a competition with others. Salt to be employed 

 in the fiiheries is therefore exempted from duty. This 

 indulgence was made to encourage the fillieries, but it has 

 produced a directly opposite eftect ; and it would be easy 

 to fhow, that in the present state of a great part of Scot- 

 land, the fiiheries could be much better carried on if. no 

 such exemption had been made ; for in -order to prevent 

 the duty free salt from being employed for other purposes 

 than that of curing filh, such a multiplicity of perplexing 

 regulations have been adopted, as puts it out of the power: 

 of all but one particular clafs of persons from engaging in 

 the fifheries in any way. 



With a view to prevent pofsible frauds, it is required 

 that all salt to be employed in the fiiheries must first be 

 carried to a custom-house, where the ovyner of it must ap- 

 pear, and bring with him two sufficient sureties, who must 

 sign a bond along with him, for a sum of monev equal to 

 treble the duties, to be forfeited, unlefs the salt itself, or 

 fifh in quantity sufficient to have consumed that salt, \\\ 

 certain proportions ascertained, fliali be produced at that 

 or some other custom-house, before a limited time men- 

 tioned in the bond. 



WTien this is done, the owner of the salt is allowed to 

 lodge it in a cellar, un Ivr the joint key of the custom- 

 house officer and himself; and before he can move a bu- 

 (hel of rt from that cellar, he must apply to and obtain a 

 warrant from the custom-house, to take out the nrecise. 

 quanuty mentioned in the warrant, and no more, an ofli- 



