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with that article, should be kept at all the fishing stations ; thatno salt should be delivered to those who apply for it, but uponpaying down the whole price, duty included ; that, at the endof the fishing, the salt unused should be allowed to be returned,and the same price repaid that had originally been paid for it;that a deduction of the salt duty should be allowed upon everybarrel of cured herrings produced, and no doubt that the barrelson which deduction was claimed should all be produced at onetime ; to prevent the fraud mentioned in the survey, of takingout the stave of the barrel which had been branded with the in-spector’s mark, and replacing it with a new one, and presentingit over again as a different barrel. It might perhaps be added,that the whole bounty should be upon the barrels, and none ontonnage, that encouragement might be thus only given to actualexecution, and none to the mere show of engaging in the busi-ness.
In this way it is conceived all smuggling of salt would be ef-fectually prevented; there would be no complicated forms toembarrass the fisher, who might follow out the business with un-divided attention ; and an host of excisemen, interested in stillmore embarrassing the forms, to occasion forfeitures, might bedismissed. This, with proper regulations to prevent the abuseof the subject, to preserve order, and prevent mutual obstructionin its common use, together with the establishment of a propermode of conveying intelligence of the arrival of the shoals, is, itis contended, all that is required.
No doubt the advancing of the price of the salt would driveout of the trade those curers who had not sufficiency' of capital.But this ' effect is not to be regretted, but desired. It wouldlead, as in all other business, to a proper subdivision of labour,so indispensable to the perfection of work. The present boat-fisliers and curers would be employed in mere fishing, by theoapitalled undertaker; though perhaps, at first, from few capital-ists starting at once, there might exist a monopoly of purchaseagainst the boat-fishers, who would in that case most unquestion-ably be oppressed, while their employers made enormous pro-fits ; yet this very circumstance would the sooner bring othercapitalists into the competition of a trade so gainful; and the ex-tent and speediness of relief would be exactly in proportion totbe extent of the temporary oppression suffered. From the su-perabundance of capital at present unemployed, the whole ofthese consequences would very speedily be realized. It is, how-ever, evident, that, to the accomplishment of these objects, it is■"dispensable that the trade should be perfectly free, and thatevery idea of exclusive covnpanies must he rejected.
Much of the funds, both of Government and of individuals,have been already sunk, without return or prospect, upon theherring fishery. And nothing can apologize for the waste in-