648 ADDRESS TO THE CONVENTION 



wegians, who frequent the non! as at half 



the cxpencc of our people, in provifions, \ 

 and the equipment of veflV 



cimen of what may be 

 expeded an the <c moll efre6lual means i< im- 



ovement and extenfion of the Britifh h'fhci 

 whilft the friends of thofe fifhcries vainly imagine, that 

 this mod important of all national bufinds can be 

 permanently eftablifhed with little or no public aid j 

 in which delufion they are encoura:/(d by fawn 



ants, who have recoiir ii flattei 



the readied means of retaining ( .ring mini- 



fterial favour, though at the - public 



welfare, and individual fubfiilence. 



It is not to be fuppofed that perfons in the higher 

 ranks of life have given any particular attention to 

 the fubject of tifheries, excepting thofe immediately 

 concerned therein, by profefTion, or local fituation, 

 of which the number is extremely few*; it is there- 

 fore highly expedient, that perfons of practical < 



perience 



* That the importance of the fiflierics is not properly compre- 

 hended, appears i i ade by r' 



<>f the moft intelligent members of the houle o: , to 



the remilCon of the inland duties on herrings, \vhieh Mr. Bcaufoy 

 ftated at no more than 1400!. This trifling lource of revenue 

 alfo attracted the attcntii-n of the n.iniftci, \\ho mo\cd tlia: 

 claufe might be poftponcd for the prelcnt. 



The debates < ;e<ft alfo afford a convincing proof, that 



the fubjecl of cs is little undcrftood. Mr. Kden u made 



' no icruple to acknowledge that he \vas not lufliciently mafter 

 44 of the iubje<5t to pronoiu ii \vith certainty. He laid, 



" he had no ting it, but what he had ob- 



44 taincd from perufing the fecond report, and from coniulting 

 44 2 or 3 volumes of the ftatute bor I , fmce he 



44 can.c into the honfe, a; nld %cnturc to lay, without 



f dread of being thought guilty of any affront to the committee, 

 '* that very I . c thirty' 



44 qiv.mted ui'h the fubjccl than himielf." Mr. hdcn's obl< 

 tion on this head is fully confirmed in the third and principal 

 report, v.-hcrc theger/ ho methodized the fame, fairly 



x-is then/, . jy and darkncfs. It is 



to be wondered that this fliould be the cafe, when perfons, whofe 



