242 riSH CULTURE. 



that any better system of cure was either desirahle 

 or practicahle, and the general proposition was 

 left in that form of indefinite vagueness which 

 such propositions always assume. Considering the 

 course of modern legislature with regard to our 

 fisheries, the disposition of those individual memhers 

 of the House of Commons who ride hohbies of this 

 kind, and the practice which the superior members 

 of the Government have adopted of purchasing the 

 stipport of such members by allowing them their 

 own way in these matters (erroneously supposed to 

 be minor matters) ; remembering what has been done 

 in Scotland by over-legislating the salmon-rivers, 

 and the disposition which was evinced last session 

 to allow the foolish cry for cheap oysters to be made 

 a pretext for destroying our most important coast 

 fisheries, we must admit that we look upon these 

 attempts to interfere with the prosperity of the 

 Scottish herring-fishery with the greatest alarm. 

 We have no need of the testimony of Baron Cuvier 

 to assure us that in the herring-fishery will be found 

 the best nursery of ' robust sailors, intrepid mariners, 

 and experienced navigators.' Indeed, we will go the 

 extent of saying, that the abolition of the branding 

 system, added to a few legislative measures like the 

 Heme Bay Oyster Bill, must have the inevitable 



