80 BRITISH FISH AND FISHERIES. 



and a promise was made of all such other ad- 

 vantages as experience should discover to be 

 necessary." No advantage permanently re- 

 sulted from these stringent regulations, and 

 after sixteen years of disappointment, a charter 

 was granted to a new fishing company, having 

 a capital of £11,580. 



In the year 1690, this company was again 

 renewed, and on its failure was dissolved by act 

 of parliament in the early part of the reign of 

 William ni. Other efforts were subsequently 

 made, but were all imsuccessful. In the year 

 1749, " The Society of the Free British Fishery" 

 was formed under act of parliament, with a 

 capital of £500,000. A bounty of 36s. per ton on 

 all decked vessels of from twenty to eighty tons 

 employed in fishing was granted for fourteen 

 years ; in 1657, the bounty was increased to 

 56s. per ton, and in 1759 to 80s. per ton, 

 besides a grant of 2s. 8d. per barrel upon all 

 fish exported ; interest, moreover, at the rate of 

 3 per cent., being sectired to the subscribers, 

 payable out of the customs' revenue. Eight 

 vessels only were entered on the custom-house 

 books for the fisheries, notwithstanding the en- 

 couragement, and the scheme proved futile. 



In the same year, 1759, the whole of the buss 

 (small vessels) fishery of Scotland brought in 



