io8 



Mr. BRUCE, M.P., seconded the motion. Having the 

 honour to represent in the House of Commons a number of 

 fishermen located on the shores of the Firth of Forth, he 

 had naturally listened with great interest to the discussion, 

 and he might say that was one of those places where the 

 herring fishing used to be prosecuted with greater success, 

 but which appeared to some extent to have been deserted 

 of late years by the herrings. The reasons for this were 

 not very well known, but he was glad to say that the 

 fishermen in that quarter had not given up fishing, but 

 had improved their boats and gone farther out to sea to 

 carry on their industry. Whatever else they might differ 

 about, all would agree that it was of the greatest import- 

 ance that a gentleman of such ability as Sir Lyon Playfair 

 should give his mind to the study of these subjects, and 

 that nothing but good could result from his investigations. 



Mr. WlLMOT asked leave to add, in explanation, that 

 the salt-water herring fisheries were more extensive than 

 the whole of those on the shores of Great Britain, and that 

 whilst he spoke of the fresh-water lakes Mr. MacLelan had 

 spoken of the herrings of the sea. 



The vote of thanks having been carried unanimously, 



The CHAIRMAN, in responding, assured Dr. Day that 

 the last thing he desired was to stop discussion by speaking 

 ex cathedrd, but, as late Chairman of the House of Com- 

 mons, he knew that having spoken then he could not speak 

 again, and so was obliged to say all he had to say ; but it 

 was with the desire of eliciting discussion, and not putting 

 an end to it He had been delighted to hear the different 

 opinions given by different speakers, and he was quite sure 

 the public would profit very much by the different views 

 put forward. 



