ward I. It wa's t>rdained, that this ftatute fliould alfo regulate the trade 

 in the other towns of England, where herrings were caught. — The 

 thancellor and treafurer, with the aid of the juftices and others of the 

 king's council, were required to regulate the fale of fbockfiih at Bofton, 

 of falmon at Berwick, and of wine and fifh at Briftol and elfewhere, fo 

 that the king and the people might be better fcrved than before. [Stat. 

 2, 31 Ediv. III.'] 



The people of Blakeney were aecufed of felling their fait fiHi too 

 Q-ear. It was therefor ordained, that all the doggers and lode fhips, be- 

 longing to Blakeney and the adjacent coaft as far as Cromer, fhould de- 

 liver their fifh in the harbour of Blakeney only, and that the fifh fhould 

 not be carried out of the vefTels, till the owners had contraded for the 

 fale of them in clear day-light ; that the price of dogger fifli and loche 

 fifh fhould be let at the beginning of Blakeney fair ; that no fifh fliould 

 be fold by covine (fecret agreement) at any other price ; and that no 

 fifherman fhould fibre up mud fifh or dry fifli to retail them aficrwards 

 at a higher price. No perfons, but thofe employed in the fifhery, were 

 allowed to buy nets, hooks', or other fifhing tackle in the county of Nor- 

 folk. No fifherman was allowed to give up his trade on account of this 

 ordinance being difagreeable to him *. [Stat. 3, 31 Edw. HI.] 



From the perufal of thefe, and, indeed, of moft other antient flatutes 

 relating to commerce, manufadtures, fifheries, and navigation, it is evid- 

 ent that the legiflators knew nothing of the affairs which they under- 

 took to regulate, and alfo that mofl of their ordinances, either froua 

 want of precifion, or from ordering what was almofl impoflible to be; 

 obeyed (for example, that people fliould fell their fifli at a price, re- 

 gulated, not by the flate of the market, but by aiuhority) mull have 

 been inefficient : and hence we find many of them fo very often re- 

 peated. No judicious commercial regulations could be drawn up by 

 eeelefiaflical or military men (the only clafTes who poffefTed any author- 

 ity or influence) who defpifed trade, and confequently could linow no- 

 thing of it. It was not till long after the time now under our confider- 

 ation, that the reprefentatives of towns, the only members of the le- 

 giflative body who could have the fmallefl knowlege of commerce or 

 manufadures, began to have any weight in parliament, 



Th'e mayar and conftables of the ftaple in Ireland were aecufed of 

 taking cognizance of caufes noway concerning the bufinefs of the flaple. 

 An order of the king and council (fuppofed of this year) was therefor 

 iffued, prohibiting fuch practices, together with a vaft number of other 

 enormities, which had crept into the adminiftration of juftice in that 

 country. [ Statutes at large, V. x, Append, p. 37.] 



* As fome cortipenfation for this reftraint, fifher- t'rat to which they were bred up. [TJo/. pat. fee. 

 men and mariners were this year exempted from 31 £iltv. UL m. 16] 

 being compelled to ferve in any other capacity thaa 1— 



