. 
20 
gion does not belong to them, but to their 
yaafter. They are to follow authority in 
that, as in any other matter of civil regu- 
lation ; and it would be punifhable pre- 
fumption in them to decide for them- 
felves, as if they had any concern in the 
conclufion. A perfon may be of any re- 
ligion he is commanded to be—he may 
bring his foul to fbmit as well as his 
body ; and no duty can be fuppofed to 
fupercede that of abfolute fubmiffion to 
the fovereign. This manner of confider- 
ing the fubjeét is, in fa&t, a greater affront 
to the human underftanding, than the 
power affumed by a Spanifh inquifition. 
‘The latter founds all its authority upon 
the fuppofition that what it maintains is 
exclufively the truth, and truth of the 
higheft importance to mankind ; and it 
affects to make conviction the bafis of that 
uniformity of belief and practice which it 
compels. It equally, indeed, with the 
other denies the right of private judg- 
ment; but it is on the plea that the mat- 
- ter has already been judged by the only 
competent tribunal ; and it will not per- 
mit reafons of ftate or local circumftances 
to fway the decifion of points not amena- 
ble to civil jurifdiction. The Ruffian 
{cheme is evidently formed upon political 
confiderations ; but it is accommodated 
only to a nation, the great body of which 
are ftupid barbarians. It proves that 
defpots, with all the free-thinking they 
may poffefs, are only half-philofophers. 
‘They would gladly enjoy all the bene- 
fit which can arife from the men- 
tal energies of their flaves, without tak- 
ing off their fhackles when ating for 
‘themfelves. But to reduce the mind to 
fucha ftate of difcipline is beyond their 
power. It will not be limited in its exer- 
tions. It will not expand itfelf freely 
upon fepics of comparatively fmall confe- 
quence, and pafs over thofe of the greatetft. 
While the native Rufians are to be mere 
hewers of wood, and drawers of water, 
they may perhaps be made to continue to 
worfhip pictures bought at their god /Lops, 
and faft and pray juit as their priefts bid 
them. But if the noble plan ‘is really 
purfued of reclaiming a great people from 
barbarifm, and placing them on a level 
with the moft enlightened nations of Eu- 
Fope, they muft be allowed at leaft as 
much iiberty as the frangers who come 
to teach them, and not have their religion 
choeten for them like a footmen’s livery, 
or a foldier’s regimentais. How mean 
and barbarous is this policy, as well as 
every other feheme for reftrainime free en- 
quiry, compared with the kmpje trans- 
View of the Herring Fifhery. 
| iar 
atlantic plan of leaving religion, like 
other matters of individual concern, to 
the care of individuals themfelves, fecure 
that it can never injure the peace of a 
well-regulated ftate, as long as the ftate 
abftains from interpofing in its differences. 
N. N. 
A 

For the Monthly Magazine. 
-A View OF THE HERRING FISHERY, 
EXTRACTED FROM THE EVIDENCES 
BEFORE A COMMITTEE OF THE 
HousE OF COMMONS, 1797 AND 
1798. 
NORWAY. 
TRE fifhery begins in the middle of 
June, and continues to December. 
The fith taken in large nets within the 
rocks, bays, and creeks, with which the 
coaft abound, and with the help of boats 
which coft from 16s. to 31. only, worked 
by two to fix men. he herrings -all 
falted or pickled with Portugal falt, at 
gs. or French falt, at 7s. per buthel. 
‘Their barrels coft only 16s. per laft of 
12 barrels. Price of the beft herrings 
22%. to 24s. fecond fort 14 to 16s. third 
fort 3 to 10s. per barrel. Exports from 
Bergen annually about 30,0c0 barrels, 
chiefly confumed in Denmark and the 
Baltic. No bounties. : : 
GOTTENBURGH. 
Here is carried on the largeft herring 
fifhery in the world. Two to 400e bar- 
rels caught in one draught of the feine, 
a net about 12 fathoms deep, and 150 
long, worked by 16 men, and hove in 
by winches. Net cofts 60 to 7ol. fterliny. 
Boats carrying i to 200 barrels, with 
two or three men, and which coft 50 to 
tool. tranfport the fifth, when cured, 
along the coaft. The fifhery commences 
the 1% November, and continues till the 
froft {tops it. Neither bounty nor draw- 
back. Salt pays a duty of 15s. per ton. 
One barrel of falt cures 3} of herrings. 
The coft of falt is 3]. per ton, and of 
barrels 2s. each. Herrings for hothe 
confumption pay a duty of gd. per bar- 
rel; Annual quantity falted or pickled 
about 300,000 barrels; one-fourth con- 
fumed at home, the reft in the Baltic, 
Jreland, and the Weft Indies. — Price 
about 8s. 6d. per barrel. Fifty thoufand 
cafks of oil, of 8000 tons, are yearly 
extracted from about a million of barrels 
of fifh, two gallons to a barrel. Onl 
worth from 16]. to 23]. per ton; pays a 
duty of 15s. for home, and zos. per ton 
for export. 
Merchants from Gottenburgh offer to 
coatract for millions of barrels, if wen 
Gy 
