234 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



the best shot at a mark. The utility and national 

 purpose of this scheme may at some time be felt; 

 for, so long as surrounding despots can gather 

 together immense mercenary armies, they ought to 

 be effectually guarded against, and they certainly 

 might be as effectually checked by hundreds of 

 thousands of riflemen, (including the militia,) thus 

 trained for the defence of the kingdom, at a 

 comparatively small expense. They might have 

 their bullets made of baked clay, which would 

 probably be as efficient as those made of lead, 

 and cost almost nothing. 



The last subject I shall notice, as being kept 

 up by unequal and unjust laws, is the fisheries, 

 throughout the kingdom. The laws made respect- 

 ing them originated in the times of feudal tyranny, 

 when u might was right," and everything was 

 carried with a high hand. It was then easy for 

 an overbearing aristocracy, by their influence, to 

 get grants and charters made entirely on their own 

 behalf. The rights of the community were set at 

 nought, or were treated with contempt. But those 

 days are passed away ; the march of intellect is 

 spreading over the world; and all public matters 

 are now viewed with feelings of a very different 

 kind than when such laws were made, and which 

 ought to have been repealed long since; but they 

 are still in force, and will continue so as long as 

 the potent feelings of overstretched self-interest 

 are allowed to guide those who have the power 

 to keep the grasp of this their antiquated hold: 

 for such can hear no reason against their private 

 interest, however unanswerable it may be. No 

 reasonable plea can ever be set up, to show that 

 the fish of rivers ought to be the private property 



