10 



In the last year, tlie Committee were proceeding 

 again to adopt a measure of encouragement fraught 

 with such important benefits, when an impediment 

 occurred which they mention with deep regret. 



The allowances of salt, duty free, for the pur- 

 poses of the North Sea and Iceland Fisheries, were 

 regulated by the 25th Geo. III. cap 65 ; and the 

 curing of the fish in the former instances in which 

 the Committee were concerned, had proceeded 

 with due sanction under this Act. When the 

 fishermen, however, were about to proceed on 

 their voyages in the last year, difficulties arose as 

 to their entering under that statute ; and it was 

 suggested that the allowances of salt given by it 

 had been repealed by subsequent enactments. Se- 

 venty pounds weight of salt for the dry salting of 

 one hundred weight of cod are barely sufficient 

 for the purpose. But, probably through some 

 obscurities which had incidentally arisen on a 

 multifarious subject, the 38th Geo. III. cap. 89, 

 which allows only fifty pounds weight of salt for 

 the cure of one hundred weight of cod ; and even 

 the 41st Geo. III. cap. 2\, by which twenty-two 

 pounds of salt per hundred weight are allowed, to 

 preserve fish for a few days after its landing, were 

 successively mentioned as the Acts under which 

 their entries should be made. It has been since 

 found, that one of the masters of a fishing boat 

 actually entered under the latter statute, having 

 J>een directed so to do, and concluding that all 



