CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE IIEKRING-FrSHERY. 323 



sioners of the British Fisheries, whu sent representations 

 to the proper quarter ; and by the inhabitants of Great 

 Yarmouth, &c., who applied through their representatives 

 to the Government, — he now has respectfully to state that 

 the propriety of using every exertion is the more obvious 

 and urgent, because fish is not specially mentioned in 

 the original treaty, and the necessity for moving to obtain 

 a reduction of the duty on fish is very evident. Scotland 

 produces annually a large amount in value of herrings 

 (which are now admitted as being equal to the Dutch), cod, 

 ling, tusk, and saith, and are consumed largely in various 

 foreign countries where the duty is not prohibitive 

 The coasts of England also produce large quantities of 

 herrings, cod, ling and mackerel, particularly on the 

 coasts of Norfolk, Cornwall, &c., all at moderate prices, 

 and in great abundance ; but the French duty on impor- 

 tation of fish, the produce of our coasts, has been hitherto 

 quite prohibitory, — the rate exacted is : Fish of the sea, 

 if foreign fishery, dry, salted, or smoked, per 100 kilo- 

 grammes, gross weight, 48 francs, which is equal to about 

 20s. per 112 lb., or on a barrel of herrings about L.3, 10s., 

 and cod fish, per cwt., L.l, which, taking the value of the 

 staple articles of herring and cod, the former at 30s. per 

 barrel, and the latter at 20s. per cwt., are about 230 per 

 cent, on herrings, and 100 per cent, additional value on 

 cod. These high and prohibitory rates arise from the 

 desire on the part of the French Government to en- 

 courage the fisheries for the purpose of increasing the 

 number of seamen for the navy, and this encouragement 

 has been the means no doubt of greatly increasing the 

 fisheries. I may mention, for instance, that every year 

 there proceed to the cod fishery near Iceland about 350 

 French large decked vessels ; and a great many of smaller 



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