158 THE HERRING FISHERY 



from Scotland to England, on which a duty to 

 equalise the salt duties was made payable. 

 The bounty of 5s. per ton, given by an Act 

 of 5 Geo. I., on particular kinds of cured fish, 

 was, however, reduced to Ss. Some efforts 

 were made by this Act to lighten the intoler- 

 able grievances of the salt bonds, and the 

 revenue officers were prohibited from taking 

 any fees. The bounty of Is. per barrel was 

 allowed on herrings caught by boats on the 

 coast of Man and landed on that island ; and 

 the duties on the importation of herrings 

 thence to Great Britain were repealed. 



In the same year the British Society for 

 Extending the Fisheries and Improving the 

 Sea Coasts of this Kingdom was incorporated 

 as a joint-stock company with shares at £50 

 each. The purpose of the enterprise was to 

 found villages, harbours, and fishing stations 

 on the Highlands and Islands of North Britain 

 for the development of fishing, agriculture and 

 manufactures in that part of the kingdom. It 

 was hoped that these villages would serve as 

 nurseries for seamen for the defence of the 

 kingdom, and so reduce the necessity for 

 emigration. 



In 1787 there was a further extension and 

 modification of the Act of 1786, dealing for 

 the most part with the circumstances in which 

 bounties were to be paid. In the reports 

 presented to the Committee of the House of 

 Commons during the ten^ years 1787 — 96 it 



