DEFENCE OF THE BUSS FISHERY. 37 1 



of that law, I received a letter from one of the prin- 

 cipal adventurers in the weft country bufs fifhery, 

 containing fundry arguments againft any altera- 

 tion of the law on that particular claufe. " Upon 

 the whole," fays he, <f all here (meaning the town 

 where he refides) are determined never to fit out a 

 bufs on fuch a footing." 



I thought it necefTary to communicate this intelli- 

 gence immediately to the chairman of the commit- 

 tee, as a fubjed worthy their ferious deliberation; 

 though, in my own opinion, I remain unalterably de- 

 cided on that head. The herrings frequent the 

 ihores of the Highlands ; ftrangers go there from 

 England, Scotland, and Ireland, to take them ; fome 

 of thefe ftrangers, in order to fave the petty expence 

 in purchafing herrings from the natives, had intereft 

 to procure a law whereby the bufies were prohibited 

 from purchafing; and, inftead thereof, that their own 

 people fhould be tied down during 3 months to the 

 drudgery of fifhing their own cargoes ; a reftraint 

 lefs adapted to an imaginary faving, than to the mif- 

 taken views of individuals in another refpcdt : cruel 

 towards the natives, whom it deprives of their natu- 

 ral right; repugnant to the intention of Providence ; 

 to the fpirit of the Englifh conftitution; to the ge- 

 neral benefit of the community ; and one great fource 

 of emigration amongft a helpleis people, who feem 

 to have had few friends to reprefent their grievances, 

 and defend their rights. 



But, notwithftanding the narrow fpirit fo preva- 

 lent in human nature, there are many perfons con- 

 cerned in the filheries on both fides of Scotland, who 

 heartily coincide in every liberal propofition refpcdt.- 

 ing the extenfion of that branch ; whole wifhes are, 

 not to exclude others, but to partake with them, in 

 the wealth which the fea affords around the whole 

 ifland. 



A 2 Review 



