PROTECTION OF DEEP SEA FISHERIES. 459 



One great argument against the retention is, that if the 

 Government choose to enter into commerce, they ought to 

 do as commerce does, and that is, that if a merchant sends 

 an article guaranteeing its quality, and when it arrives the 

 purchaser proves that it is not of the quality guaranteed, he 

 has a legal claim on the merchant ; if the Government 

 have confidence in their guarantee, they ought to be pre- 

 pared to back it up ; but this they refuse to do, or to make 

 any compensation, thereby showing a great weakness, and 

 that the system is wrong somewhere. Statistics and 

 detailed proof might be given on this point, but, as before 

 remarked, these would only be a repetition of the able 

 published reports. 



As regards the argument put forward by those in favour 

 of the retention, that weights and measures and standards 

 are necessary for carrying on commerce, it is granted as 

 correct to a certain extent, but thousands of articles of 

 food are sold in this country at a price for the article, 

 weight and quantity not being stated. Our home herring 

 and trawl-fish trade, for instance, is largely carried on 

 without either weight or measure, and each fisherman and 

 merchant makes his packages of what size he likes, and the 

 retailer sells his herrings at so much each. Why, then, 

 should a Government regulation be so essential for a 

 section in Scotland, whose trade does not date back nearly 

 so far as the English trade, and whose transactions do 

 not nearly come up to the English either at home or 

 abroad in quantity ? For national statistical purposes, by 

 all means establish a standard, either weight or measure, 

 to sell or calculate the quantity of each kind of fish when 

 first landed, but, after that, let it be for the merchant to do 

 exactly as he deems best for his own business purposes. 

 Those in Scotland who now object to this free trade, would 



