46 The Journal of the Royal 
ago. However teemincr the water was with fish, if the 
population increased, and if proper measures were 
not taken to protect the fish in their spawning season, 
and to Hmit the size of the fish to be taken by nets, 
there must be a diminution in the number of fish, and a 
corresponding faUing off in the internal food supply of 
the colony. If Great Britain were at war with any of 
the great Powers, and the colony were cut ofl[' from 
outside communication, they would, in a short time, 
be practically in a state of starvation, so that anything 
they had left in the colony ought to be very jealously 
guarded. He had noticed in the newspapers a 
paragraph to the effect that a company was being 
formed for curing fish. He wished to say that he 
knew nothing about the projected company or of those 
concerned in it, and his motion had nothing to do with 
any company to be formed for that purpose. The 
value of cured fish imported into the colony last year 
was, according to the Customs returns, $286,691. The 
greater part of the fish so imported was dried cod and 
haddock, of which the value was $215,442, and pickled 
mackerel, pickled salmon, fish preserved in tins and 
smoked herrings, bring up the total. It might not be 
possible to supply fish to the same extent in the 
colony, but it might be possible to encourage the 
fisheries here to supply a part. The Secretary of State 
for the Colonies had been earnestly endeavouring to 
collect information on this subject and had been urging 
the people in the West India Islands to collect 
information on their fisheries, and no doubt in time 
they in this colony might be asked to give some 
information as to their resources in that direction. 
When it was proposed some time back that they should 
