26 



wise in this respect than any laws which were likely to be 

 passed by Parliament. 



Dr. FRANCIS DAY did not know whether it was worth 

 while making many remarks on the question if they were 

 told that all legislation was useless, and that whoever said 

 anything on the other side appeared to be one who did not 

 understand the subject upon which he was speaking ; but he 

 thought they were met for the purpose of discussion, to 

 hear both sides of the question, and not to jump to con- 

 clusions at the commencement before they had heard what 

 the other side had to say. Personally as yet he gave no 

 opinion on one side or the other, but he did think those 

 who had opinions to offer should be allowed to give them 

 without being told that those who made laws ought to 

 suffer from them themselves instead of the unfortunate fisher- 

 men to whom those laws would apply. He could not help 

 thinking that gentlemen who held those views, though they 

 might be very fit for Legislatures, were quite unfit to legis- 

 late on fishing matters. It was only necessary to look at 

 the fresh-water fisheries to see how they had been destroyed 

 for want of legislation, and what had been done by making 

 use of legislation. He would, however, pass on to the sub- 

 ject more immediately before them ; he had no intention of 

 making any remarks when he entered the hall, but he had 

 been at two or three conferences when no one had risen to 

 say anything, except the proposers and seconders of 

 resolutions, and he thought it was time that a few 

 observations should be made on the different sides of these 

 important questions. They must all feel exceedingly 

 obliged to Mr. Duff for the figures he had given, but when 

 he left out the natural history of the subject it appeared to 

 him that he left out the most important portion of the 

 question with regard to herring and other fisheries. There 



