FISHERMEN AND FISHERIES. 177 



tion of foreign fish ; but eight years later another law had 

 to explain that this prohibition was " not meant to hinder 

 any of the Queen's subjects from using uprightness and 

 truth in the barrelling of such fish," and to repeal the pro- 

 hibition. Yet another Act (23 Eliz. c. 7) again forbade 

 any British subject from bringing or buying salted fish 

 from abroad, and once more Parliament had to admit that 

 it had frustrated its own intentions ; for in a long preamble 

 to 39 Eliz. c. 10 it explains that when the statute just 

 alluded to was passed " it was hoped and expected that Results of 

 the fishermen of this realm would in such earnest have foreig^ S 

 employed themselves to fishing, and to the building and impolts< 

 preparing of such store of boats and shipping for that pur- 

 pose, as that they should long ere this have been able 

 sufficiently to have victualled this realm with salted fish 

 and herrings of their own taking, without any supply of 

 aliens and foreigners, to the great increase of mariners and 

 maintenance of navigation ; notwithstanding it is since 

 found by experience that the navigation of the land is no 

 whit bettered by the means of that Act . . . but contrari- 

 wise the natural subjects of this realm not being able to 

 furnish the tenth part of the same with salted fish of their 

 own taking, the chief provision and victualling thereof with 

 fish and herrings hath, ever since the making of the same 

 statute, been in the power and disposition of aliens and 

 strangers, who thereby have much enriched themselves . . . 

 and (taking advantage of the times) have extremely 

 inhanced the price of that victual . . . and yet do serve 

 the markets here in very evil sort by little and little, 

 housing and keeping their fish as well on this side as 

 beyond the sea till the prices be raised to their liking . . . 

 and the navigation of this realm, which was intended to be 

 augmented, hath been rather impaired than increased 



VOL. IX. E. 6. N 



