160 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



revenue to the king for the fishing in his seas; 1 and in 1611 

 he again addressed a memorandum to the Earl, answering 

 various objections that had been raised to the scheme, and 

 renewing the offer for farming the tribute. 



The plans to form a national herring fishery founded on 

 taxation of the Dutch having failed, others were brought 

 forward on the basis of receiving special privileges and im- 

 munities from the crown. One proceeded so far towards reali- 

 sation, that in December 1611 a corporation was formed, 

 consisting of a governor, deputy-governor, a treasurer, twenty- 

 four " consuls," with " searchers " (cure-masters), gaugers, and 

 other officials, in imitation of the Dutch system. The adminis- 

 tration was to be general " for matter of order, and particular 

 for matter of adventure," leaving every town at liberty to 

 venture for itself; and laws and ordinances were drawn up 

 for the central body in London and the affiliated societies 

 throughout the country. Since the money necessary was 

 to be found by private individuals, a number of privileges 

 were asked from the Government. One of these, which made 

 it lawful for the corporation to carry their fish abroad and 

 to bring back commodities in exchange, " from all parts where- 

 soever, notwithstanding any former privileges to the contrary," 

 was strenuously opposed by all the trading companies, and 

 in particular by the Merchant Adventurers, who objected 

 that it would be most injurious to their great trade in cloth. 2 

 This opposition killed the " business of the busses," as the 

 fishing project was popularly called. Writing ten years later, 

 Gerard Malynes, a London merchant and author, who appears 

 to have been one of the promoters and to have spent both time 

 and money on it, deplored the failure of this society, which 

 he said was due to the opposition of the Merchant Adven- 

 turers, the Russia Company, and the East-land Merchants. 3 



Within a year or two another project came from an unex- 

 pected quarter. No less a personage than the queen became 

 a suppliant for a royal patent empowering her to compound 



1 State Papers, Dom,, xlviii. 92. 



2 Sir Walter Cope to the king, State Papers, Dom., Ixxi. 89. See note, p. 128. 



3 The Maintenance of Free Trade, 42 (1622). He mentions the reasons given by 

 the powerful companies for their action, but it was caused by their fears for their 

 monopolies. 



