19 



present state of things the British Fisheries could 

 retain their standing. For all the capital dispo- 

 sable in the fisheries, ample outlets present them- 

 selves through the ordinary channels. The im- 

 provements of the fishermen are slow,, their pre- 

 judices strong, and the' condition neither of mind 

 or body is such as to stimulate them to any zeal 

 in correcting errors in their modes of business 



From the earliest times it has been a just sub- 

 ject of complaint, that the inhabitants of our 

 island have been constantly paying a large sum to 

 the Dutch for the produce of the ocean around 

 it. It is said, that in the reign of Queen Elizabeth 

 four hundred Dutch boats were constantly em- 

 ployed in obtaining fish to be sold to the English. 

 In the year 1750, the inhabitants of Lowestoffand 

 Southwold, in Suffolk, were under the necessity of 

 petitioning the House of Commons for relief, the 

 Dutch having persevered in fishing so near the 

 shore, and with such effect, as to sweep the fish 

 out of their bays. The Dutch annoyed them with 

 one hundred vessels at a time ; and as they stated, 

 allowed the British fishermen in those parts to 

 follow their occupations neither by day nor night. 

 The Committee have found that a trade for tur- 

 bots, very injurious to the revenue, is now carried 

 on with Holland, in which several thousand pounds 

 per annum are paid wholly in specie to the Dutch, 

 by our own fishermen, to take for them turhots 

 out of the ocean. The Committee thought it 

 c 2 



