30 



Enforcement 

 of law. 



same city of London, liberties or suburbs of the same city, or within the same 

 borough of Southwark, and the liberties and precincts of the same borough. 

 And that it shall be lawful to the Wardens of the same mistery for the time 

 being, and to every of them, from time to time and at all times convenient, 

 whensoever it shall seem good unto them or any of them, to enter into any 

 house, shop, ship, cellar, wharf, and other places and places whatsoever within 

 the city and borough aforesaid, or either of them, or within the suburbs, liberties, 

 or precincts of the same city and borough, or either of them, where any such 

 salted fish, salted herrings, fresh fish of the sea, salmons, stock fish, or other 

 fish whatsoever shall be laid or housed, whether the same be in cask or without 

 cask, and to view, search, and survey whether the same be wholesome for 

 man's body and fit to be sold or no. And if the same fish, either fresh or salt, 

 herrings, salmons, stock fish, or other fish whatsoever by them or any cf them 

 within the city, borough, suburbs, liberties, or precincts aforesaid, in such 

 search shall be found to be unwholesome or corrupt, or unfit to be sold, 

 that then it shall be lawful to the same Wardens of the Mistery of Fishmongers 

 aforesaid, or to any of them, the same bad, unwholesome, and corrupt fish from 

 the owners and possessors thereof as forfeit to take and seize, and thereof to 

 dispose and do according to our laws of England, and the usuages and customs 

 of the said city of London and borough aforesaid from time to time used and 

 frequented." 



It would not be possible, for the officers of the company to carry out a law 

 of gauge under the powers contained in their Charter. But the company 

 would be willing to undertake the duty if Parliament would confer on them 

 the powers for doing so, for the purpose of protecting the fishery, and for the 

 better provision of food for the London market ; and would be willing to 

 incur a reasonable expense with this object. 



Board Boom, Aquarium, Southport, Friday, 27th October 



1876. 



Decrease. 



Price. 



Present : 



Frank Buckland, Esquire. 



CRABS. James Crook, fish dealer, Chapel Street, Southport. Has been in the trade 



for the last 25 years — first in Manchester and latterly in Southport. Has dealt 

 in crabs and lobsters during that period. Considers the supply of crabs has 

 fallen off considerably during the last 1 6 years. During that period there 

 has been a gradual diminution both in size and number. The principal supply 

 for the Southport market comes from Scotland in spring and from the Isle of 

 Man in the middle of summer. In winter very few are received, and they are 

 Irish crabs. Purchases from the Manchester and Liverpool markets through 

 salesmen. The price of crabs has doubled in the last ten years, and the size 

 diminished one half. Calls a fan-sized crab one from 8 to 10 inches ; the 

 smallest are from 2| to 3 inches. In a barrel of crabs ten years ago all were a 

 fair size through ; at the present time there are only about a dozen really good 

 crabs in a barrel, and they are put on the top. It is a great disadvantage to 

 have the small crabs, as the majority of customers will not buy them. Con- 

 siders a crab weighing 1 lb. to \\ lb., and from 6 to 10 inches in length, a fair 

 sized one. Customers like crabs about \ lb. or 1 lb. in weight, or 6 to 10 

 inches in length, and will not purchase the small crabs, which are sold cheap 

 to children. It is a perfect waste to send small crabs to the Southport market 

 at all. Business would not be injured if the small crabs were kept entirely 

 out of the market ; is desirous they should be. A "full" crab is 6 to 10 

 inches lengthways, and crabs below 6 inches sell two for one. A man, used to 

 counting crabs, would count out say 30 crabs, and call them two dozen. Some 

 of these would be full, but the majority small. No crab should be sold under 

 Gauge. Q inches across the back ; 5 inches is too small. A man who was used to 



sorting crabs could distinguish the sizes without difficulty if he had the will to 

 do so. Receives a good many "spent," "wasted," or "white-footed" crabs 



