326 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



the provinces' government into his own hands after the 

 revolution's first successes, but the fisheries came in for 

 Government's most earnest solicitude, and were treated as 

 so important an industry deserved. Up to the said year, 

 the point at issue between Government and fishermen had 

 been, who should obtain most from the other and do least 

 for him. The situation at once became the reverse when 

 a national government was virtually established, and a ready 

 willingness to do their utmost for the trade's benefit pre- 

 vailed on both sides. 



This altered state of things was first clearly seen when, 

 towards the beginning of the herring season of I575> 

 William of Orange called a general meeting of the fisheries' 

 delegates, and earnestly represented to them the expediency 

 of sustaining their trade by their own energy at any cost, 

 as the state of the country's affairs for the moment left no 

 possibility of effectual Government assistance. 



A body representative of those concerned in the herring 

 fishery, which in 1575 was recognised by the Prince as a 

 semi-official institution, had in truth borne such character 

 long before. The herring shipowners' habit of appointing 

 some of themselves to forward their common outward 

 interests appears indeed to have been about as ancient as 

 the trade itself, inasmuch as " the common merchants " of 

 certain towns of Holland are mentioned as grantees of 

 privileges extending to the fishery, in the edict of Albert 

 King of Sweden (1368), which has been mentioned above. 

 An organised body of local fishery committees, however, 

 does not appear to have existed before the middle of the 

 sixteenth century, when such an organisation seems to 

 have been the result of constant need of common defence 

 against both enemies abroad and Government exactions at 

 home. A committee of the herring fishery is first mentioned 



