FISHES AND FISHING. 271 



and any unprincipled "person who does so, deserves 

 every punishment the law may award to him. 



On the 25th of October, 1785, the Lord Mayor 

 (Richard Clarke) and the Court of Aldermen made a 

 law, that no person should angle in the Thames on 

 Sundays, under a penalty of forty shillings. Anglers 

 therefore sought other streams ; and it was observed, 

 I remember at the time, that there were as many, if 

 not more anglers, than before that civic law was pro 

 mulgated. His Royal Highness the Duke of York, 

 BISHOP OF OSNABUEGH, went to live at Oatlands soon 

 after, and it was a regular practice for him and his 

 company on most Sundays, in fine weather, to be out 

 in punts, as I have often seen them angling in the 

 Thames. The example of his Royal Highness, as may 

 be well supposed, rendered this most unpopular law of 

 the Lord Mayor and Aldermen perfectly unavailing ; 

 for they were afraid to attack ROYALTY and EPISCOPACY, 

 and could not reasonably attack the poorer orders. 

 It was a law^ which they had, in point of fact, it 

 was said by legal men, no power to make. This ob 

 noxious attempt to interfere with the liberties of the 

 subject remained in a state of abeyance till Septem 

 ber, 1840, when John Tagg, of Thames Ditton, 

 fisherman, was summoned before the magistrates, at 

 the Town Hall, Kingston, for angling in the Thames 

 on Sunday, the 6th inst. Mr. Guy, for the defend- 



