APPENDIX. 149 



insufficiency of the Government establishment to 

 carry on the business of the department — the result 

 is, that the fisheries decline, both pubhc and private 

 rights are invaded, and unless a sufficient Act, and 

 efficient Government control be interposed, public 

 rights will cease altogether, and be replaced by a 

 new vested interest, founded on usurpation. 



The sea fisheries form a branch of the subject 

 which is foreign to the present inquiry, and I shall 

 here only incidentally allude to them. Nations have 

 been founded on their fisheries. The Dutch, ac- 

 cording to De Witt, employed 450.000 men in their 

 sea fisheries — from these hardy fishermen their na- 

 vies were recruited, and Van Tromp put the broom 

 at his mast head. But in these peaceful times, our 

 mercantile navy could not be recruited from a bet- 

 ter nursery, than from the coast and deep sea fish- 

 eries. These are wholly neglected in Ireland ; though 

 capable of great extension if a nucleus of develop- 

 ment were formed. On our western shores, Scotch 

 barrelled herrings are bought by our own poor peo- 

 ple, although the live ones in boundless profusion 

 are beside them! Surely, when £14,000 per annum 

 is the Government grant to the Scotch Fisheries, 

 one half that amount, in common justice, ought to be 

 accorded for the development of the Irish Fisheries. 



The close season, will be the next subject for 

 amendment. This question has been so frequently 

 discussed, that little need be now said about it. It 

 has been dandled by unskilful hands before the Le- 



