22 



these Acts were passed in an age of darkness, be- 

 cause the principal statutes which relate to the 

 Irish Fisheries, were passed in the reign of 

 George III. As to the English Statutes, I find in 

 Burn's Justice, vol. 1, p. 540, ed. 1764, " Every 

 person who shall set up any new wear along the 

 sea shore, or in any harbour or creek, or within 

 five miles of the mouth of any harbour or creek, 

 shall, on conviction before any justice or mayor, 

 forfeit for every offence, &c. sec. 1, c. 12. And 

 worse than all, in Gabbet's Digest, that by Ed. 3, 

 st. 4, c. 4, E. and I. " all mills, wears, stanks, 

 stakes, &c. &c. set up in the time of King Ed- 

 ward 1. whereby ships and boats were disturb- 

 ed, are directed to be pulled down without being 

 restored ; and thereupon writs to be sent to the 

 sheriffs of the places to do thereof execution/' 



By this time I think it is clear enough what 

 would happen, if the invention of Mr. Little were 

 attempted elsewhere ; and the Author seems to be 

 quite aware of this, by doing every thing in his 

 power to keep this part of the subject out of sight. 

 He tells us, that it would be of no use to attempt 

 it in rivers, whose waters have been rendered offen- 

 sive to the fish by the stuff thrown in from ships and 

 manufactories, and so on ; but I take upon myself to 

 say, there is another reason fully stronger. He 

 knows very well, that these statutes are completely 

 opposed to such practices, and that, unfortunately 

 for him, they are not yet become a dead letter, and 



