1 c8 eulogiiim on the minister. March 2§. 



catches fifli, and finds himself straitened for food, or his 

 Heighbour starving, who would willingly purchase some of 

 them from him, he neither dares consume a morsel of 

 what was cured with that salt, himself, nor dispose of it 

 to another. Before he can do this, he must carry the 

 fifli to the custom-house, and enter them there, after 

 which only he can be permitted to eat them. The ex- 

 pence of doing this, may be ten times the value of his 

 filh •, yet this must be done, or his sail bond will be put 

 in suit in the court of Exchequer in Edinburgh, and the 

 penalty forfeited *. Not only is he obliged tiius to send his 

 jijh to the custom-house, whicli, in some cases, might be so 

 far on its way to a market j but if any of his salt be left, he 

 must send that also thither, however small in quantity, orthe 

 same forfeiture of the salt bond awaits him f . It is need- 



)ii;n3elf. Mr Rofs happens to be a man of pro;erty, and deservedly- 

 much respected in that country, and therefore he was not prosecuted; but 

 had he been a poor man, the expences he would have been made to incur 

 on account of this trespafs would h ive ruined him. These facts were. 

 fully authenticated to flie commifsioners of salt duties, but no puniflimenc 

 was inflicted upon the officer who committed such a flagrant crime in the 

 discharge of hio duty. Ex fcde ' 



* The species of se;-vitude to which the poor fifhers in Shethnd, and 

 other-remoce parrs of the coast, are subjected, of which so many men havt 

 loudly complained, is a necefsary consequeisce of th s arrangement, and it 

 must continue, in spite of any law to the contrary, as jon^ as these regu- 

 lations concerning salt are in force. It is ind-;td the only pofsible \va^ 

 in which poor men at present can pofbibly eng-.ge in the fifherie-i at alF. 

 It is men of property, alone, who can buy and manage the complicated 

 b;;sintfs of bonded salt; anl is it to be supposed that they can venture that 

 property insuch tickiiih circumstances, in the hands of pooi persons, who- 

 have no security to offer, without employing great precautions to insure a- 

 gainst lofs ? It is the salt kW'S, and these iloiie, that are the cause of this 

 system of opprefs.o^. 



•}- A case was lately stated in this miscellany, vol. vi. ,p 2c8. in which 

 a man thus Incurred five pounds expcnce, on account of fivebujhels of salt; 

 many such i3o not occur, because sucli exanipl^c deter wise men f.ora vea- 

 turinj on such ruinous entcrprlsesV 



