376 INTERNATIONAL LAWS FOR THE 



is taken, a fresh price will probably be arranged for a 

 further stated quantity. Line fish, such as haddocks, 

 sillocks, cod, &c., would be sold by the cwt. But in 

 England the usual system in the case of trawl fish is to 

 sell by the package on the spot, or to send away to 

 a salesman at an inland market. Herrings are always sold 

 when landed, by the last of 10,000, which consists of 13,200 

 fish, or by the 100, which consists of 132 fish, which number 

 arises from an old custom which had for its intention that 

 the price per 100 to the public should be the same as the 

 wholesale price, and the profit of the wholesale buyer or 

 curer was to be sixteen fish, and that of the retailer sixteen 

 fish. The sales are sometimes effected privately, but 

 generally by auction. Discount is allowed in some ports 

 for prompt payment. Sometimes a salesman sells, and 

 the owner books the debts, and collects his own money, 

 thus freeing the salesman from risk of bad debts, in which 

 case half the usual commission only will be charged. There 

 has been a good deal of discussion at various times on a 

 curious anomaly in the law as regards the selling of fish 

 by auction. For instance, a vessel arrives in port with fish, 

 these are landed and can be sold by auction by any one 

 without a licence ; but suppose these same fish were landed 

 and not then sold, but consigned to an inland town, 

 or when the wind is light or contrary and the vessel 

 cannot conveniently reach her port, the fish are landed, 

 to save market, at the nearest village and sent by cart to 

 the market, then in either of these cases they must 

 not be sold by auction by any one who has not an 

 auctioneer's licence. This certainly is an unnecessary 

 piece of red-tapeism. Mackerel are sold by the 100 of 

 1 20 fish because the fish being more valuable ten were 

 considered sufficient profit for the wholesale buyer and ten 



