322 



year.- The whole of this was not sent into the country for 

 food, but part of it was used for bait, whilst a great part 

 came to London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and 

 the large manufacturing towns. It was very right that this 

 shell-fish should have every care and culture, and should 

 not be allowed to be wantonly destroyed, because fishermen 

 must have bait before the fish could be caught, and if the 

 brood of the mussel were destroyed, and the whelks, the 

 amount of fish caught would be greatly affected, and if it 

 even became scarce and dear, people would have to pay a 

 greater price for the fish they eat. The great cry every- 

 where now was how to get cheap fish into London, and 

 that was a question to which he had devoted all his energy 

 for the last thirty years, and had given his opinion when 

 on the Commission which sat in London some three 

 years ago. 



The motion having been put and carried, 



Mr. HARDING in reply, having thanked the Congress for 

 the manner in which the Paper had been received, said 

 there were few clams in England. On the coast which he 

 hired, of about five miles, the men did not get a dozen in 

 a day. With regard to the restrictions of price, he could 

 only say that he had several thousand tons of mussels 

 suitable for bait, and could not dispose of them at any 

 price. 



Mr. BlRKBECK, M.P., then moved a vote of thanks to 

 Mr. Tyssen-Amherst for presiding. He felt specially 

 indebted to him, being the representative of one division 

 of his own county, where this question was one of great 

 importance. 



Mr. TOLLEMACHE, M.P., in seconding the vote of thanks, 

 said, although there had not been so large a meeting as he 

 had hoped, there had been a most interesting discussion. 



