CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 217 



One of the most able works written at this time on the 

 subject is by one of the leading merchants and curers in 

 Scotland, of the celebrated name of Fall, — viz., Robert Fall 

 of Dunbar, — and his shrewd and severe remarks on the 

 Report of the Committee of the Commons, appeared in a 

 pamphlet published in 1786. He suggested the renewal 

 of the bounty for buss fishing at the rate of 50s. per ton, 

 but proposed that 10s. per ton of this bounty should be 

 divided among the captain and crew. He points out the 

 causes of the failure of the bounty system, and objected 

 to the compelling by statute each British buss of eighty 

 tons to carry eighteen men, while the Dutch busses of a 

 similar size had only twelve men. 



He calculated that the Government had expended from 

 the year 1751 to the year 1782, a period of thirty-two 

 years, L.316,365 sterling, and recommends that the 

 authorities should grant small sums to encourage boat 

 fishing on the west and east coasts ; and there is no doubt 

 that he was correct in asserting that all those large sums 

 given by way of bounty or premiums were repaid to the 

 Exchequer in customs and excise duties, from the employ- 

 ment of the different materials liable to duty, and the 

 consumption of articles liable to excise, consequent on the 

 beneficial employment of the working-classes ; and he 

 gives an account to prove this, which was produced to 

 the Committee of the House of Commons, by which it 

 is shown that, notwithstanding all the bounties paid, 

 the Government gained annually L.8398 additional re- 

 venue. 



As this account gives the rates and amount of money 

 paid for bounties, and the duties paid, it is proper to in- 

 sert it here. 



