HISTORY OF THE 



cafks, and other materials, utenfils and (lores, and 

 for erecting tents, huts, and ftages, and for the 

 landing, gutting, pickling, and re-loading their 

 fifh, and in drying their nets, without paying 

 any foreland or other dues, or any other fum 

 or fums of money, or other confideration whatever, 

 for fuch liberty. And if any perfon or perfons fhall 

 prefume to demand or receive any dues, fums of 

 money, or other confideration whatever, for the ufe 

 of any fuch ports, harbours, fhores, or forelands 

 within the limits aforefaid, or fhall obftruct the fifh- 

 ermen, or other perfons employed in the taking or 

 curing of fifh, or drying their nets, in the ufe of 

 the fame, every perfon fo offending, fhall, for every 

 fuch offence, forfeit the fum of lool. to be reco- 

 vered and levied in manner herein after directed. 

 Provided always, that nothing in this act con- 

 tained, fhall extend to exempt the veffels or boats 

 employed in the faid fifheries from the payment 

 of fuch harbour or pier dues as are, and by the 

 law ought to be demanded for fhips, veffels, or 

 boats, in piers or harbours which are built or artifi- 

 cially made; but that fuch harbour or pier dues 

 fhall be paid, in like manner as the fame were liable 

 to be paid before the paffing of this act. " 



The above extract is then fully inferted for the 

 information of all perfons concerned diredtty or in- 

 directly with the fifheries, and who have no oppor- 

 tunities of perufmg the acts of parliament at large. It 

 fhows the ardent zeal and attention of government, 

 for promoting, by every pofllble means, that great 

 national object; which, on the other hand, it hath 

 been the uniform practice of certain revenue officers 

 to deprefs; -even to the counteracting the law itfelf, 

 though exprefled in fuch plain terms that a child of 

 ten years old would comprehend it on the firfl 

 glance. 



One ftatute exprefsly fays that the bufTes fhall be 

 permitted to depart for the fifheries on or before the 



