tion. The natives themselves were desirous of a close season being 

 iastituted, which was a strong point for the granting of the request. 

 He believed that the existing police power in the islands would be 

 quite enough to see that the law was carried out. 



Mr. A. Morton, to show how important the industry had been in 

 the past, and might be made again in the future, said that a few 

 years back as many as 36,000 seals were taken from Bass Straits 

 in one season. But they were then killed indiscriminately, male and 

 female and young, so that afterwards the animals became so scarce that 

 the natives could not make a living at the industry. The Fisheries 

 Board had recommended that the sealing should be closed for a period, 

 a nd now fortunately the seals were again more numerous, but unless 

 Protection were stillafforded they would soon be killed off again. New 

 South Wales, Victoria, and New Zealand recognised the importance 

 °f a close season, and why Tasmania could not recognise the same he, 

 as a member of the Fisheries Board, could not comprehend. The 

 Board were not asking the Government to close the industry altogether 

 for another three years, but simply for a short period each year that 

 the females and young might be protected. In justice to the other 

 colonies, Tasmania should institute a close season, for otherwise it led to 

 a good deal of illegal sealing in other colonies. This had been par- 

 ticularly the case when New Zealand instituted a close time in 

 Campbell Island, and Tasmania left Macquarie Island open. The 

 present deputation, however, had no reference to Macquarie Island, 

 hut they did hope that the Government would allow to become law 

 the resolution which had been unanimously passed by the Fisheries 

 Board, and supported by the Royal Society, asking that a close time 

 should be afforded seals. 



Sir James Agnew pointed out that the protection asked for would 

 entail scarcely any pecuniary expenditure whatever on the part of the 

 Government. 



Mr. H. W. Knight said the reason of the deputation waiting upon 

 the Government was in consequence of the notification by the Fisheries 

 Board to the Royal Society that the proposed regulations formed by 

 the Fisheries Board had been declined by the Government. The 

 Royal Society and the Fisheries Beard wera both deeply interested 

 >n the matter, and the regulations had been prepared after very mature 

 consideration and minute inquiries from those people who were engaged 

 iu the sealing, and whose interests would thereby be protected. 



Sir Edward Braddon, in reply, said he, of course, had to speak 

 with some hesitancy on the matter, inasmuch as it was one upon which 

 he would have to consult with his colleagues. But as far as his 

 judgment guided him he agreed with the deputation, that in the 

 interess of humanity, and in the interests of the industry, which was 

 a more or less important one, it was desirable that there should be 

 a close season when the young seals were about. So much he might 

 say, and, fortunately, his hon. colleague, the Chief Secretary, agreed 

 with him. That expression of opinion would, he hoped, to some 

 extent satisfy them, and he could only say that the matter would be 

 immediately taken into consideration with a view to seeing what 

 could be done to meet the request. 



The deputation then withdrew. 



