to reach the place of sal at five o'clock every morning, and to afford a very great relief to that part of the Metropolis. These Gentlemen have concluded their representation, by requesting that it might be ascertained how far these two obstacles may be removed; undertaking, that if it can be done they will use their best endeavours, that a large supply of fish may be daily and regularly sent to the Metropolis.

The Committee, conceiving that it would very much improve the supply of the Metropolis, if such caravans of fish were sent off every evening, to reach the west end of the town early the next morning, especially from Brighton, where there is a short and excellent road and a good supply of horses, directed a case on the first point, to be laid before Mr. Serjeant Onslow and on the two points, before him and the Attorney General; in answer to which they have just received, on the latter point, the opinion of those two learned Gentlemen in the following words :-" We do not apprehend that there is any legal impediment, to any person or persons engaging a warehouse, yard, or other convenient place, at which to receive and sell, by retail or wholesale, fish or other victuals. But such individuals cannot by law erect a market, in which to exact tolls, or other incidents to a market."-Upon the subject of the post duty, they have received Mr. Serjeant Onslow's opinion, as follows:-"The last Act, I find, that imposes a duty on post horses, is the 44th Geo. III. cap. 98. The words there used, are horse, mare, or gelding, hired for drawing on any public road, any coach or other carriage, used in travelling post, or otherwise.' I do not think that under that expression, a duty is imposed on a mere fish cart, or caravan, carrying fish only, in respect of the horses by which it is drawn."

The Committee will next advert to two circumstances,

which they conceive niay be deserving of attention, as con firming the inference deduced from the effects of the contract for mackerel, entered into in May last, by the Committee for the relief of the Manufacturing Poor. The first of these they give on the authority of a Gentleman, who has been lately concerned in, or connected with, the herring fishery on the Goodwin sands. Having contracted in 1810 and 1811, to a limited amount, with the fishermen for herrings, at £12. the last, to be cured for the West Indies, they varied their contract in the year 1812, and agreed to take all their surplus herrings at £7. the last, being fourteen pence the hundred. The consequence of this unlimited agreement was, that the fishermen went out every day; and the quantity caught was three or four times the average of the preceding year: so as to occasion a remarkable increase in the supply of the Metropolis, at the commence ment of the preceding winter; a hundred ton of herrings, or 240,000lb. weight having been caught and sold, or cured, in one day.

A SIMILAR circumstance to this has been stated to them by a principal salesman of Billingsgate, to have occurred there in January last; when the quantity of cod for corning, then required by the Committee for the Manufacturing Poor, produced so large a supply of that sort of fish at Billingsgate, that the salesmen there could not obtain for it more than three-halfpence a pound. It seems indeed to be clear, if the fishermen could obtain, even at a moderate price, a certain salé for all the fish brought to the market in good condition, that the increase of supply might be carried to almost any extent. But in order to dispose of the daily surplus which would then be brought to sale, it appears to be necessary, that a salting warehouse should be connected with every wholesale Fish Market; for receiving, at a certain hour, and at a reduced price, all the surplus fish of the

morning, to be corned for the use of the interior parts of the country, or for exportation. For the purpose, therefore, of diffusing more generally the knowledge of the wise and judicious measures, which the legislature, on the suggestion of Government, have adopted, of a remission of the salt duty, for the purpose of encouraging the preserving of fish for food, the Committee have thought it expedient to print, in a cheap form, for the use of the public, the Acts of Parlament which relate to that subject.

The Committee entertain no doubt, that corned fish, if properly cured, and sold at a moderate price, would be very acceptable to all classes in this country. Upon this subject, they have very lately received the opinion of Mr. Boase of Penzance, who is well acquainted with this subject, and who mentions a circumstance very deserving of attention. "Penzance market" (he observes)" supplies a very populous district, where fish is three-fourths of the animal food of the lower classes. The average price of fresh fish during the last twelve months, has been about one penny per pound,-of salt fish, nearly three-pence; and notwithstanding this, the hucksters carry off ten loads of salted, for one of fresh fish." In the course of his observations on this subject, Mr. Boase notices the effects which the increased use of corned fish would have on the cultivation of potatoes; an article of subsistence, much more productive in quantity, and much more certain as to crop, than wheat, or any other kind of grain. Upon this subject, Mr. Boase states an interesting fact. "The population of the district of Penzance, has for some years required an annual impor, tation of corn or flour. The crop of 1811 was entirely exhausted before the end of March 1812. Great supplies of grain were necessarily imported, and retailed to the laboring classes at reduced prices, causing an enormous addition to the poor-rates. The alarm thereby occasioned,

of

produced a timely and larger increase of potatoe-planting. The consequence has been, that although the corn crop 1812 was not above average, and was broken into, even in the first week of harvest, NO GRAIN OR FLOUR HAS BEEN IMPORTED HERE, NOR IS ANY EXPECTED TO BE WANT

ED." To this he adds, that large quantities of potatoes have been exported trom Penzance, and that they are still sold there under a halfpenny a pound, retail price.

With a few brief observations on the fishery of the NYMPH BANK, they will conclude their report. This Bank lies off the southern coast of Ireland, and has been made the subject of a letter addressed by the late Mr. Dixon to the Earl of Hardwicke, then Lord Lieutenant of that Island. It was explored in 1736 by Captain Doyle, who reported it to abound in large cod, quantities of hake, and ling; a report, which was confirmed by Captain Frazer, on a survey of it in 1802. The committee mention this Fishery, not as peculiarly necessary to, or connected with, the supply of the Metropolis; but rather as offering very advantageous means of giving employment and subsistence to the poor in that part of Ireland, and of affording, by exportation, great supplies to the West Indies and the southern parts of Europe.

At a Mecting at the Thatched House Tavern, the 6th of March, 1813,

His Royal Highness the DUKE of KENT in the Chair,

The following resolutions were moved, and seconded, and passed unanimously:

1st. "That a FISH ASSOCIATION' be formed for the benefit of the Community, and for encouraging and promoting the supply and use of fish both fresh and corned, in the Metropolis, and the other parts of the Island; the Association not being concerned in any trade or dealings whatsoever, with a view to profit or emolument of any kind to be obtained by the Association, or any of its members.

2d. "That the Duke of Somerset, the Earl of Winchil, sea, the Right Hon. J. C. Villiers, the Right Hon. George Rose, Sir Thomas Bernard, Bart., Samuel Whitbread, Esq. M. P., William Smith, Esq. M. P., Patrick Colquhoun, Esq., and William Hale, Esq. be desired to act as the temporary Committee of the Association; to advertise its objects, receive subscriptions, propose an outline of regulations, and adopt such other measures as may appear to be expedient to promote the views of the Association, until a regular Committee shall be formed for those purposes; and that they have power to add to their number the names of such subscribers as they shall think proper; three members being competent to business.

3d. "That the said Committee do meet at the Thatched House Tavern on Wednesday next, at half past two o'clock; and that they be desired to call a