OF THE FISHERIES. 383 



confederacy known in Europe ; that great branch, 

 the donation of Heaven to this much favoured ifland, 

 muft rife in the eftimation of every man who hath 

 the profperity and fafety of his country at heart. It 

 claims the approbation, and merits the fupportof 

 every individual in thefe kingdoms, whether the con- 

 ftituent or the reprefentative. We have feen the ex- 

 ertions of former ages in favour of the fifheries; the 

 contributions made at church doors for carrying them 

 on with vigour ; the exclufive privileges, and exemp- 

 tions from cuftom-houfe duties, upon imports and 

 exports of whatever related to the fifheries ; the laws 

 obliging houfekeepers of certain defcriptions to ufe a 

 barrel of herrings annually at 305. per barrel, being 

 equal to 405. or 505. at the prefent time; the poli- 

 tical rigours, of keeping lent ; thefe, and other cir- 

 cumftances which could be enumerated, fhow the 

 importance of the fifheries to our anceftors ; and the 

 wifdom of thofe ages in the great, though ineffe&ual 

 attempts to carry them to their utmoft extent. If 

 fuch exertions engaged the attention of the court, 

 the fenate, and the nation, when they had only France 

 to contend with, when provifions were cheap and 

 plentiful, when manufacturers bore a very fmall pro- 

 portion to the community at large, how much more fo 

 ought the prefent age to ufe every effort, not only to- 

 wards tlxe reftoration of the fifheries in all their varieties ; 

 but eftablifh that bufmefs-upon a wider fcale, there- 

 by increafing the number of feamen, and the quan- 

 tity of cheap food, proportionablyto the accumulated 

 collective ftrength of hofUle powers abroad ; to the 

 great increafe of manufacturers, the rife of provifions, 

 and the heavy burden of taxes at home. The empire 

 is alfo difmembered, and many provinces are loll ; 

 our pofleflion of thofe that remain is, and ever will be 

 precarious ; but fuppofing the worfl event to happen, 

 there flill remains an empire which no human power 

 can abridge or detach. It is the boundlefs, and 

 greatly neglected feas, by which we are environed, 



which 



