FISHERMEN AND FISHERIES. 247 



is afforded of the ever-increasing interest taken in fishermen 

 by the State. The Admiralty was authorised to appoint 

 a superintendent of coast-fishing, who might seize nets of 

 illegal size and those used on a Sunday. Imperfect barrels 

 might be seized by the fishery officers, or by those of the 

 excise or customs ; and the Commissioners were to regulate 

 the cran as the standard fish measure. Herrings were to 

 be gutted within twenty-four hours of their capture, whilst 

 the remainder of the Act is principally concerned with the 

 now obsolete questions of " bounty money " and the quantity 

 and kind of " salt " to be shipped 



Of the Act of 1821 (i & 2 Geo. IV. c. 79) three sec- 

 tions wer permitted to survive so far as they affected 

 Scotland ; the constitution of the Commissioners was con- 

 firmed ; and they were empowered to make from time to 

 time fresh regulations, and to insure the forfeiture of unjust 

 measures. 



The greater part of the legislation of 1824 (5 Geo. IV. 

 c. 64) remains unrepealed, but as its object was to further 

 ensure the abolition of Bounty-money, reference to it is 

 here unnecessary. 



The legislation of 1830 (11 Geo. IV. and I Will. IV. 

 c. 54), so far as it related to England was repealed in 1868. 

 Its principal effect on Scotland is to further authorise the 

 branding of herrings, and to extend the powers of the 

 Commissioners over the fishery for "round fish," such as 

 cod and ling. This class of fish, as before mentioned, is not 

 caught by drift-nets, but is either incidentally found in 

 trawls, or is systematically fished for with hooks and lines. 

 The rest of the Act regulates the appointment of Fishery 

 Officers for Ireland. 



Two sections only of the Act of 1.851 (14 & 15 Viet, 

 c. 26) were repealed in 1868. The chief objects of this Act 



