IRISH FISHERY LAWS. 331 



weigh-mafter, or infpetor, are hereby required and directed to 

 brand on the iide of luch barrel or barrels, the firft letter of hit 

 Chriilian name, and his furname at length, with the name of the 

 city, town-corporate, or place where fuch barrel or barrels fhall 

 be 'examined as aforeiaid. 



And "be it further enacted, that no nets fliall be (hot or wet 



for the taking of herrings in the day time. 



Thefe laws diicover a thorough knowledge of the fubject of the 

 Irifli fiftieries, for the better regulation of which they are framed 

 with great judgment and propriety. They include every object 

 or circumltance for which the adventurers may be encouraged, 

 and the liftieries extended in all their branches. 



The claufes relpecling brand marks, forting the fifli, and the 

 penalties tor every trelpafs, negled or fraud, ieem evidently 

 copied from the Dutch placarts, though lefs perplexing than the 

 originals, which are far too numerous for Britifli or Inih fubjects 

 to reduce to pradice. 



The geographical limits of the fisheries include the whole coafls 

 of Ireland, the Ifle of Man, the weft-coaft of England and Wales; 

 with the Sol way Firth, the Firth of Clyde, and the Well High- 

 lands of Scotland, as far north as the Ille of Mull. Defirous to 

 improve their own country, to diffule induftry and wealth upon 

 their own fhores, they have thus restricted the bufles from wander- 

 ing too far northward after a precarious tifliery, while their own 

 are more certain, and their people prepared in boats and nets 

 proper for the buimefc. 



The periodical limitations of their fiflieries are now extended 

 from the firft of May to the firft of February. As it hath been 

 generally underftood that the herrings were unmarketable after 

 the 1 2th of January, this matter merits inquiry, in order that the 

 fiflieries of both kingdoms may be put on the lame footing. If it 

 Ihall appear to the Britifh parliament, that there was no juft cauie 

 for doling the fifliing on the i2th of January, it may in that calc 

 be found expedient to allow an unlimited fifliery through the 

 whole year upon the bounty, to be dirtinguiflied by the names of 

 the four fealbns, as the fummer, autumn, winter and ipring 

 fiflieries, and regulated agreeable to the nature of the fifh and 

 fishery in each refpective period. 



A VIEW 



