STATUTES, PROCLAMATIONS, RULES, ORDERS, ETC. 879 



master of every fishing ship there, shall content himself with such 

 beach or flakes, as he shall have necessary use for, without keeping 

 or detaining any more beach or flakes, to the prejudice of any such 

 other ship or vessel as shall arrive there; and that such person or 

 persons as are possessed of several places in several harbours or creeks 

 there, shall make his or their election of such place as he or they 

 shall choose to abide in ; and shall also, within eight and forty hours 

 after any after-comer or after-comers into such place or places shall 

 demand such his or their resolution touching such his or their elec- 

 tion (if the weather will so soon permit, or so soon after as the 

 weather will permit) give or send his or their resolution to such 

 after-comer or after-comers, touching such his or their election of 

 such place as he or they shall so choose to abide in for the fishing 

 season, to the end that such after-comer or after-comers may likewise 

 choose his or their place or places of his or their abode there ; and in 

 case any difference shall arise touching the said matters, the admirals 

 of the respective harbours where such differences shall arise, or any 

 two of them, shall proportion the place to the several ships, in 

 526 the several harbours they fish in, according to the number of 

 boats which each of the said ships shall keep. 



" V. And whereas several inhabitants in Newfoundland, and other 

 persons, have, since the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred 

 eighty-five, ingrossed and detained in their own hands, and for their 

 own private benefit, several stages, cook-rooms, beaches, and other 

 places in the said harbours and creeks (which before that time be- 

 longed to fishing ships, for taking of bait, and fishing and curing 

 their fish) to the great prejudice of the fishing ships that arrive 

 there in the fishing season, and sometimes to the overthrow of some 

 of their voyages, and to the great discouragement of the traders 

 there ; " Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all 

 and every such person and persons, as since the said year of our Lord 

 one thousand six hundred eighty-five, have or hath taken, seized or 

 detained any such stage, cook-room, beach, or other place for taking 

 bait or fishing, or for the drying, curing or husbanding of fish, shall 

 on or before the said twenty-fifth day of March relinquish, quit and 

 leave, to fhe public use of the fishing ships arriving there, all and 

 every the said stages, cook-rooms, beaches and other places for tak- 

 ing bait and fishing, and for the drying, curing and husbanding of 

 fish. 



VI. And for the preventing the ingrossing and detaining of all 

 such stages, cook-rooms, beaches and other places, by any person or 

 persons for the time to come ; Be it enacted by the authority afore- 

 said, That no fisherman or inhabitant of Newfoundland, or any other 

 person or persons whatsoever, shall, at any time after the said twenty- 

 fifth day of March, seize, take up or possess any of the stages, cook- 

 rooms, beaches or other places, which at any time since the said year 

 of our Lord one thousand six hundred eighty-five, did or at any time 

 hereafter shall belong to any fishing ship or ships, for taking bait 

 or fishing, or for drying, curing, or husbanding of fish, before the 

 arrival or the fishing ships out of England, Wales, and Berwick, 

 and until all such ships shall be provided with stages, cook-rooms, 

 beaches and other places for taking bait and fishing, and for drying, 

 curing and husbanding of fish. 



