wealbk04-第25节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


expense　than　by　keeping　up　a　great　standing　navy；　if　I　may　use

such　an　expression；　in　the　same　way　as　a　standing　army。

　　　　　Notwithstanding　these　favourable　allegations；　however；　the

following　considerations　dispose　me　to　believe　that；　in　granting

at　least　one　of　these　bounties；　the　legislature　has　been　very

grossly　imposed　upon。

　　　　　First；　the　herring　buss　bounty　seems　too　large。

　　　　　From　the　commencement　of　the　winter　fishing；　1771；　to　the

end　of　the　winter　fishing；　1781；　the　tonnage　bounty　upon　the

herring　buss　fishery　has　been　at　thirty　shillings　the　ton。　During

these　eleven　years　the　whole　number　of　barrels　caught　by　the

herring　buss　fishery　of　Scotland　amounted　to　378；347。　The

herrings　caught　and　cured　at　sea　are　called　sea…sticks。　In　order

to　render　them　what　are　called　merchantable　herrings；　it　is

necessary　to　repack　them　with　an　additional　quantity　of　salt；　and

in　this　case；　it　is　reckoned　that　three　barrels　of　sea…sticks　are

usually　repacked　into　two　barrels　of　merchantable　herrings。　The

number　of　barrels　of　merchantable　herrings；　therefore；　caught

during　these　eleven　years　will　amount　only；　according　to　this

account；　to　252；231　1/3。　During　these　eleven　years　the　tonnage

bounties　paid　amounted　to　L155；463　11s。　or　to　8s。　2　1/4d。　upon

every　barrel　of　seasticks；　and　to　12s。　3　3/4d。　upon　every　barrel

of　merchantable　herrings。

　　　　　The　salt　with　which　these　herrings　are　cured　is　sometimes

Scotch　and　sometimes　foreign　salt；　both　which　are　delivered　free

of　all　excise　duty　to　the　fish…curers。　The　excise　duty　upon

Scotch　salt　is　at　present　1s。　6d。；　that　upon　foreign　salt　10s。

the　bushel。　A　barrel　of　herrings　is　supposed　to　require　about　one

bushel　and　one…fourth　of　a　bushel　foreign　salt。　Two　bushels　are

the　supposed　average　of　Scotch　salt。　If　the　herrings　are　entered

for　exportation；　no　part　of　this　duty　is　paid　up；　if　entered　for

home　consumption；　whether　the　herrings　were　cured　with　foreign　or

with　Scotch　salt；　only　one　shilling　the　barrel　is　paid　up。　It　was

the　old　Scotch　duty　upon　a　bushel　of　salt；　the　quantity　which；　at

a　low　estimation；　had　been　supposed　necessary　for　curing　a　barrel

of　herrings。　In　Scotland；　foreign　salt　is　very　little　used　for

any　other　purpose　but　the　curing　of　fish。　But　from　the　5th　April

1771　to　the　5th　April　1782；　the　quantity　of　foreign　salt　imported

amounted　to　936；974　bushels；　at　eighty…four　pounds　the　bushel：

the　quantity　of　Scotch　salt；　delivered　from　the　works　to　the

fish…curers；　to　no　more　than　168；226；　at　fifty…six　pounds　the

bushel　only。　It　would　appear；　therefore；　that　it　is　principally

foreign　salt　that　is　used　in　the　fisheries。　Upon　every　barrel　of

herrings　exported　there　is；　besides；　a　bounty　of　2s。　8d。；　and

more　than　two…thirds　of　the　buss　caught　herrings　are　exported。

Put　all　these　things　together　and　you　will　find　that；　during

these　eleven　years；　every　barrel　of　buss　caught　herrings；　cured

with　Scotch　salt　when　exported；　has　cost　government　L1　7s。　5

3/4d。；　and　when　entered　for　home　consumption　14s。　3　3/4d。；　and

that　every　barrel　cured　with　foreign　salt；　when　exported；　has

cost　government　L1　7s。　5　3/4d。；　and　when　entered　for　home

consumption　L1。　3s。　9　3/4d。　The　price　of　a　barrel　of　good

merchantable　herrings　runs　from　seventeen　and　eighteen　to　four

and　five　and　twenty　shillings；　about　a　guinea　at　an　average。

　　　　　Secondly；　the　bounty　to　the　white…herring　fishery　is　a

tonnage　bounty；　and　is　proportioned　to　the　burden　of　the　ship；

not　to　her　diligence　or　success　in　the　fishery；　and　it　has；　I　am

afraid；　been　too　common　for　vessels　to　fit　out　for　the　sole

purpose　of　catching；　not　the　fish；　but　the　bounty。　In　the　year

1759；　when　the　bounty　was　at　fifty　shillings　the　ton；　the　whole

buss　fishery　of　Scotland　brought　in　only　four　barrels　of

sea…sticks。　In　that　year　each　barrel　of　sea…sticks　cost

government　in　bounties　alone　L113　15s。；　each　barrel　of

merchantable　herrings　L159　7s。　6d。

　　　　　Thirdly；　the　mode　of　fishing　for　which　this　tonnage　bounty

in　the　white…herring　fishery　has　been　given　（by　busses　or　decked

vessels　from　twenty　to　eighty　tons　burthen）；　seems　not　so　well

adapted　to　the　situation　of　Scotland　as　to　that　of　Holland；　from

the　practice　of　which　country　it　appears　to　have　been　borrowed。

Holland　lies　at　a　great　distance　from　the　seas　to　which　herrings

are　known　principally　to　resort；　and　can；　therefore；　carry　on

that　fishery　only　in　decked　vessels；　which　can　carry　water　and

provisions　sufficient　for　a　voyage　to　a　distant　sea。　But　the

Hebrides　or　western　islands；　the　islands　of　Shetland；　and　the

northern　and　northwestern　coasts　of　Scotland；　the　countries　in

whose　neighbourhood　the　herring　fishery　is　principally　carried

on；　are　everywhere　intersected　by　arms　of　the　sea；　which　run　up　a

considerable　way　into　the　land；　and　which；　in　the　language　of　the

country；　are　called　sea…lochs。　It　is　to　these　sea…lochs　that　the

herrings　principally　resort　during　the　seasons　in　which　they

visit　those　seas；　for　the　visits　of　this　and；　I　am　assured；　of

many　other　sorts　of　fish　are　not　quite　regular　and　constant。　A

boat　fishery；　therefore；　seems　to　be　the　mode　of　fishing　best

adapted　to　the　peculiar　situation　of　Scotland；　the　fishers

carrying　the　herrings　on　shore；　as　fast　as　they　are　taken；　to　be

either　cured　or　consumed　fresh。　But　the　great　encouragement　which

a　bounty　of　thirty　shillings　the　ton　gives　to　the　buss　fishery　is

necessarily　a　discouragement　to　the　boat　fishery；　which；　having

no　such　bounty；　cannot　bring　its　cured　fish　to　market　upon　the

same　terms　as　the　buss　fishery。　The　boat　fishery；　accordingly；

which　before　the　establishment　of　the　buss　bounty　was　very

considerable；　and　is　said　have　employed　a　number　of　seamen　not

inferior　to　what　the　buss　fishery　employs　at　present；　is　now　gone

almost　entirely　to　decay。　Of　the　former　extent；　however；　of　this

now　ruined　and　abandoned　fishery；　I　must　acknowledge　that　I

cannot　pretend　to　speak　with　much　precision。　As　no　bounty　was

paid　upon　the　outfit　of　the　boat　fishery；　no　account　was　taken　of

it　by　the　officers　of　the　customs　or　salt　duties。

　　　　　Fourthly；　in　many　parts　of　Scotland；　during　certain　seasons

of　the　year；　herrings　make　no　inconsiderable　part　of　the　food　of

the　people。　A　bounty；　which　tended　to　lower　their　price　in　the

home　market；　might　contribute　a　good　deal　to　the　relief　of　a

great　number　of　our　fellow…subjects；　whose　circumstances　are　by

no　means　affluent。　But　the　herring　buss　bounty　contributes　to　no

such　good　purpose。　It　has　ruined　the　boat　fishery；　which　is；　by

far；　the　best　adapted　for　the　supply　of　the　home　market；　and　the

additional　bounty　of　2s。　8d。　the　barrel　upon　exportation　carries

the　greater　part；　more　than　two…thirds；　of　the　produce　of　the

buss　fishery　abroad。　Between　thirty　and　forty　years　ago；　before

the　establishment　of　the　buss　bounty；　fifteen　shillings　the

barrel；　I　have　been　assured；　was　the　common　price　of　white

herrings。　Between　ten　and　fifteen　years　ago；　before　the　boat

fishery　was　entirely　ruined；　the　price　is　said　to　have　run　from

seventeen　to　twenty　shillings　the　barrel。　For　these　last　five

years；　it　has；　at　an　average；　been　at　twenty…five　shillings　the

barrel。　This　high　price；　however；　may　have　been　owing　to　the　real

scarcity　of　the　herrings　upon　the　coast　of　Scotland。　I　must

observe；　too；　that　the　cask　or　barrel；　which　is　usually　sold　with

the　herrings；　and　of　which　the　price　is　included　in　all　the

foregoing　prices；　has；　since　the　commencement　of　the　American

war；　risen　to　about　double　its　former　price；　or　from　about　three

shillings　to　about　six　shillings。　I　must　likewise　observe　that

the　accounts　I　have　received　of　the　prices　of　former　times　have

been　by　no　means　quite　uniform　and　consistent；　and　an　old　man　of

great　accuracy　and　experience　has　assured　me　that；　more　than

fifty　years　ago；　a　guinea　was　the　usual　price　of　a　barrel　of　good

merchantable　herrings；　and　this；　I　imagine；　may　still　be　looked

upon　as　the　average　price。　All　accounts；　however；　I　think；　agree

that　the　price　has　not　been　lowered　in　the　home　market　in

consequence　of　the　buss　bounty。

　　　　　When　the　undertakers　of　fisheries；　after　such　liberal

bounties　have　been　bestowed　upon　them；　continue　to　sell　their

commodity　at　the　same；　or　even　at　a　higher　price　than　they　were

accustomed　to　do　before；　it　might　be　expected　that　their　profits

should　be　very　great；　and　it　is　not　improbable　that　those　of　some

individuals　may　have　been　so。　In　general；　however；　I　have　every

reason　to　believe　they　have　been　quite　otherwise。　The　usual

effect　of　such　bounties　is　to　encourage　rash　undertakers　to

adventure　in　a　business　which　they　do　not　understand；　and　what

they　lose　by　their　own　negligence　and　ignorance　more　than

compensates　all　that　they　can　gain　by　the　utmost　liberality　of

government。　In　1750；　by　the　same　act；　which　first　gave　the　bounty

of　thirty　shillings　the　ton　for　the　encouragement　of　the

white…herring　fishery　（the　23rd　George　II；　c。　24）；　a　joint…stock

company　was　erected；　with　a　capital　of　five　hundred　thousand

pounds；　to　which　the　subscribers　（over　and　above　all　other

encou