AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 459 



would by spawning become numerous, to the great advantage of 

 the public : 



" And whereas a number of persons in the county of Albany 

 propose to make the experiment and defray the expenses attend- 

 ing the same, in order that the good design may be carried into 

 more effectual execution, it is conceived necessary that a law 

 should be passed for prohibiting tlie talking and destroying • the 

 said fish for a term of years. 



" Be it therefore enacted by his excellency the Governor, the 

 Council of the General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the 

 authority of the same, that if any person or persons after tlie 

 publication of this act, and for and during the term of five years 

 next to come shall talj:e any salmon in Hudson's river, creek or 

 brook emptying itse'lf into the same, and kill or destroy the same, 

 every such person shall for every salmon he or she shall so take 

 and kill or destroy, forfeit the sum of £10, to be recovered with 

 costs of suit by any person who shall sue for the same before any 

 one of his majesty's justices of the peace in any of the counties 

 within tliis colony, who is hereby impowered and required to hear 

 and determine the same. 



" JOHN, EARL OF DUNMORE, Governor.'' 



It is to be regretted -that we have no law comprehensive enough 

 on this subject to protect all the fisheries ol different kinds 

 throughout the State. 



Not only salmon and shad, but various kinds of smaller fish 

 which are now nearly extinct in our waters, might be multiplied 

 a thousand fold. We see no reason why all the important streams 

 in the State might not be made to yield abundant supplies for the 

 localities through which they pass. And our larger and more 

 important fisheries might easily, by a proper course of manage- 

 ment, become a source of profit. 



We would call particular attention to the fact that Mr. Pell 

 asks no pecuniary assistance from the State, but simply requests 

 the enactment of protective laws, offering to stock the localities 

 referred to in his petition at his own expense. He concludes 

 thus: 



