loo, it may be worth while to contemplate the con- 

 sequences. In the first place, all) airs, cruives, and 

 stake nets, and, in short, all illegal modes offishing 

 by whatever name they may be called, would be 

 taken away. The owners would not be able to sup- 

 port their rights by anything short of a king's 

 charter; and every man, having a legal right to fish, 

 would proceed to exercise his right in a legal man- 

 ner. Now, we are told, that no sufficient quantity 

 offish would be brought to market, and the quality 

 would be inferior. To this I answer, that withou 

 presuming to doubt all you say of the excellence 

 of your own fish, all the upper heritors will agree 

 that better and cleaner fish than those they are in 

 the habit of taking during the whole of the fishing 

 season, cannot be ; and as to quantity, only remove 

 your stake-nets, &c. for a year or two, and they will 

 be able to give you an answer on both points; till 

 that is done, no sufficient comparison can be had, 

 and the ex pavte statement of one side is at least as 

 good as that of the other. You then refer to a 

 period often years preceding 1798, for statements 

 regarding the quantity of fish taken at certain 

 fisheries before and since the stake-nets were erect- 

 ed. But at none of the periods referred to, can it 

 be said that the communication with London, was 

 so ready as at present, and after all, it is not by a 

 comparison of the quantity of the fish taken at any 

 particular fishery, that any thing very satisfactory 

 can be elicited. What proportion does the fishing 



