HERRING FISHERIES. 



ing into the laws relative to the fifneries, could 

 not difcover upon what grounds the diftin&ion was 

 made between herrings taken on the coafts and bays 

 of Scotland, and the coafts and bays of Ireland and 

 the Ifle of Man ; nor were they able to trace the 

 caufes of this reftridtion, to any fources in the leaft 

 degree connected with the fecurity of his majefty's 

 revenue, or calculated to promote the increafe of 

 Teamen, or any other political advantage connected 

 with the honour or intereft of the flate. But all 

 'remonftrances in favour of the fifheries, however well 

 grounded, were in vain. The commiffioners, who 

 feemed to have fet their faces againft that branch, 

 remained inexorable. 



In confequence of this perfevering obftinacy, a 

 paper was drawn up in 1783, under the following 

 title : " To the right honourable the lords commif- 

 fioners of his majefty's treafury ; The humble 

 petition of the convention of the royal boroughs in 

 Scotland, in behalf of the merchants and others con- 

 cerned in the white herring fifhery. " 



This fpirited conduct of the convention had the 

 defired effect, and in 1784, the commiflioners of 

 the cuftoms at Edinburgh iffued a circular letter, 

 acknowledging that the acts of parliament, the 

 xr. and xix. of his prefent majefly, gave the moft 

 unlimited fcope for carrying on the herring fifhery in 

 any part of the Britifh feas. 



The words of the law are thefe : cc And be it further 

 enacted by the authority aforefaid, That all and 

 'every perfon or pcrfons employed in the faid fifheries, 

 may fifti in any part of the Brftijbjfas 3 and fhall have 

 and exercife the free ufe of all ports and harbours, 

 ihores and forelands, in Great Britain, or the ijlands 

 belonging to the crown of Great Britain, below the 

 higheft high water mark, and for the fpace of 400 

 yards on any wafte or uncultivated land beyond 

 fuch mark within the land, for landing their nets, 



calks, 



