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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s * des taux de reduction diff*rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Stre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film* d partir de I'angle sup*rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n*cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m*thode. 1 2 3 1 32 X /x^//^ Halifax, N.Si DeioeAber 31,1817. the attendance tff the ttERCniNXS TftA&ml?7jd riew yomt.H9ft6e, f«r.the«ui«Ue of conaUerinir the ^ . LdT. fe&''*'' P''2P'""r* ''^ *»>« Committee, wa« wjd; andthefeirowuiff flf«8oluti#ii« were i,namioi,ir> •greed to :--> '( } •n; isfl L:no i«i I^SS"*^.***'*"^'" i'5 intetMti^wif paying that g^M- with his.£xcflU««oy't Keomiii«Bd«tlMl..^» i£ma T,P*^!»?» «'»w P'ewMj.tiwjKs which wTSbMlB^^ I* to frt*m theentlre |kdiil 6f the C«nm^ ffifc oJw » Ifaewd AtWrag io Hb Eatcwlk—v. and, tt^t ifc^ ^»^ tl • •'♦ l.iUr XH^ciUiRMAji; .: ' . ■' :'^5'««^4''«*#I*,1«#I8JB.;IIIJ|B§.,',' '■, ' . ' '■ . ..'••:;:■ ■ . »-;« t'.j :j i; -.. ,^ — , ;,! 2.:'M;., ■ ,' '■','.' ;' • ' ''^ ^^ " .i/»3.i wjiq ., ■)•,;?, .in ^ i Ui -I niurt^-/ .vr,,! , ^^.,, J J,, J,. .»„,,..,;, tr h, ,l,..r 'l:* '.aiilj'ji.' ;• < r; ■; . t MEMOIR On the CODand SMALL FISH^ ERIES of NoviuScotia. THE HaUf«» Commktcc.of Trade having deliberated op the pre* lent rituation of the Fisheries andCommercc ofthitProTincctare of opinion that the former are imceptible of very coniiderable improve^ nente. The harbour* rouod the whole of tht coaits of tlie penioiula 6f Nova>8cotia,being more tdvantageouslj situated for the purpose of the Ciod aad Sotall Fisheries, than any other portion of the American continenti the ComiMttee dee:ii it neccsnrv to exert every means in their power to place them in that state« which it was the original in- tention of His Majesty's Royal Grandfather, that they should stand. The original object in Kettling this Province, was in rivalship to the French Natbn, then in possession of Canada and C»pe- Breton; M the latter of which cobaiea, ■ very extensive Cod Ifishery was con- ducted. In order that it may the better be understood how it hai happened that His kte Majesty '» intentions, have not produced all the expected effect in this colony, it wiil be necestary briefly to trace a few of thMe occurrences which have taken place since the first Kttle* nent of Halifax. , . The rjloaixation of Valtfai harbour, and the Germans subsequent- ly detached to Lunenburg, were the only essential establishments of KoM<8d>tia;ondc»Mkcnbyke«ermnent} the former took place in tiie sprmg of 1 749 t at which tiaae, such were the powerful meani; a« dopted, that the shores of Halifax Harbour, to the southward of the Town and in the North. West*A|ni, were covered with fish flakes f and, dtnta H- Uf ycm* .tlle.MiJftess promiKd very fair } but the Small- Fexlo 1755, hating broke out among the people, at a time when no awdical preventive, as at present, was in general practice, the ■ettleoaent became very much deranged. The French war, which commenced in the followiiw year, induced the chief part of those poor aettlers, which the Small^ had left, to enter into His Majesty's ahips, and on board Printeers ; and the Cod Fishery, within the har- bour of HaKfisx, has been since chiefly confined to the supplies of salt and tackle from the merchants to the fishermen of other places, and to the purchaw of their fiihi ia r^payowot of those advancea at the end of + :- rSH- > t r the tenon. The wtr which begin in 1756, commonly railed the •even^yeari war, ended in 1763. during which ume* the British Na- tion havhig deprifcd the French of their pOMMiians in North- Aneti* ea, and having, after thai event, no feara of rivalihip in thif! quarter, the Province of Nova«Scotia became neglected by Government, but the mercha'^ts had not, ai yet, prquired that capital which was suf- Itcient for the increase of the fisberiea. During the fallowing peace until the commencement of the American revolutionary war in 1774, « period of eleven years, the NewEnglaad coloniats cngroMCd almost the whole of the fisheries, both great and small i and Nova-Scotia be* came no further an object bf attention, than aa the harbour of Halt. fai furnishrd the best station for ships of war. The trade thereforct extended very liule beyond those SHppHes which the garrison and the few ships retained on the station, in time of peace required. The re« vohitioaary war, which ended at the close of the year 1 783, a period of nine years, greatly increased the trade of the Province, because it excluded the New.finglaitders fronk the Fisheries and the West-In- dia markets, and likewise increased the eipeoditure of the amy and navy. The Cod and Small Fisheries flonrished during this period j but still few persons of large capitals embarked their property in it. The fish continued to be chiefly taken by the poor people, who, ia a manner by anticipation, mortgaged tMr ealth, in the spring of the year to those merchants and shopkeepers in Halifiix, who advanced sup- plies to theili for that purpose. Thix proved a more profitable trade, and le» precarious to the Halifiix traders, than it would have beeot had they embarked personally in the venture. Halifax, at that time» was almost the only port of trade in there Atlantic Provinces, for the eoantry traders also received their goods, liquors and salt from the capital, and retailed them to those fishermen who did not leave their own harbours in the autumn and spring } but still the fish taken, eon- tred in Halifix.-— By passing, however, through one other ehannel, it became somewhat enhanced in price t yet the trade to the West-la- diet and the Fisheries continued to increase. At the dote of theRevolotiotMry war,theAmerieans,b that respect, afl^ting to forget the new character they had assumed, began to. re- sort to the West-Indies in great numbers, and were moch naore pro- tected there, than, consistently with the fundaoKntal colonial lawtt they ought to have been. Theae Northern Colonies owe it to the exertions and perseverance of Captain Horatio Nelson^ thea oa command in the West-Indies, that, for a whilci the Aoierican vesKia were excluded from the British Islandu. At length, after he quited the West-India station, the Americans, with their accustomed per- severance^ renevrtd their efforts t and, in a g'vat aseasure, succeeded in s'lpplanting these colonies in those markets. These coloaiesi howcvcriby his iatcrvcotisa^ were csabic to coa- *••, tinue to increiM tttcir fiiheriei unmttilipte^lyt until the yeir 1 789 \ i^hi-n t! trouble* in Frincc comatacedi and the whole civilized world being aftawirda in oonoiotiant and the British nivigaiion »ystem brcominf; much relaxed and deranged, the American! availed tn«ra«el«cs of the circunatanccs of the times and. puthiog thiir comraercr into every quarter of the globe, and into the Wcbt-Iudiea in particular, so far topplanted the colonial trade, that, in the course •f the war, and until the year 1804, ihe fish taken in thase coioniea found every little Tent, excrfi in the United States ; where, atrfcnge ■a it may appear, it was sold for the purpose of mbipmunt to the BiU ilth Wnt India Llandt \ for the colonial merchnnts, except under cir* 'Cumtrance* by no mehi>.-i of a general nature, cvuld not, unprotected •sthey were, stand a compAkion with the Americaos t who, exclusive of Other advantages, navii^ated their veiscb, as Neutrals, under charge* greatly below the British shippers of these colooits ; who» independent of extravagant outfits, labored undrr the pressure of qnadruple ifiAuraace { — hi(,h wages }~Hnpressmcots }-<-de]ay8 ;— ■demurrage :— numerous uiicercaintiea ^~-k>ss of convoys ;'— and, in that evient, the almost certainty of capture. Under this state of de- preaiion, the colonial trade, even of their own produce, pused, in a great measure, into the hands of the Americans ; and these coloniea «ndured the double mortifiration, of being deprived of their birth rfglit. and of being reproached, on every struggle for redress, with their inability to furnish the West- Indies with the necesMry supplies, ind even with fluh and lumber, with which they do» actually, so pre* 'eminently abound. This Slate of affairs continued until 1804, at which time the colo* nial trade had dwindled to the lowest state of deprtsMon. The mer> chants of Halifax then ventured to hy their distresses b«f undinr Indices ant) I'nteretti ^voraMe to the AmericMi, both in Engkad aitd the Wcti-Indiet i ind the moat «biHrd and falic •HCitioBt contiauod to be received and frequently acted apoa a* truthi. The Hahfax Committee, therefore pcrtnaded th« other Northern Coloniea to aniK with them hj limilar C'lmmitteea, corretpondiRg with a Committte choien in London, from amongst the Merchant!! tradiag to theie Northern Coloniea. The result of ihiti union was such, that His Majeaty's Ministers began to compare and to act upon the informatiooi by them received, in earnest ) and the cosKqucnces, concurrioff with •ther pres'Ure upon their trade, induced thtt American Govemncnt to adopt their Embargo 8y^tem, «vhich gmdually became iocrcasinglf moie binding ; until finding the inefficacy of it to force Great Brit< ain into their meuiires,and that she and her coloaies prospered in pro* portion to the absence of the Aoaericaaa from the trade of ilie woridi their Government, in a fit of spieeo, declared war against England, in June i8i2. • During the whole of the period eommeneij*g with the Embargo system in Januiiry i8o3, until the close of the war with the United States in 1815, the Bsheries of Nova«Scotia continued to increaae» more and more, ever/ year ; and the West India Isfaiada, natwith- standing the exclusion of the American ve«isels, were generally abun- dantly supplied, in a principal degree, from thecolonies} bat, in some measure, from England. So soon as hostilities ceased, the Americans renewed their ship* ments to the West-Indies 1 and, with theirancicnt spirit of attempt* ing ever7 project that possessed but the shadow of hope, boldly en* tered the ports of the Islands with their vessels 1 but they ntet such decided instructions from Government, that they soon relinquithcd that mode of proceeding — They now resort to the foreign Islandiiof St. S> n"t,St. Croix, St. Martins, or St. Thomas, where th«y dt*- pose ot ih w cargoes, constating of an infinite variety of foreign aad domestic irticles ; and the vessels and boats from the Biitish i&Ianda go to those, places, and receive in cxchaage of Island Prpdoce, but often for specie, those goods, fish, lumber, Sec. dtc. which the AnMr« ican veMCla have brought for that purpose. The straggle which has taken place between these Coloaies aiid the American States, for the supply of the West-Indies, together with the other events which have recently occurred, has brought the subject so completely before the public, that the West- India Lftgisla* tures begin, of themselves, to perceive the good policy of being fur- nished with the necessary supplies, independently of those from Arner* ica ; wh!ch have, hitherto, becnK> much the subject of caprice, that no firm reliance could be placed upon thrn>. In some instances, the Island Legisbtares have even gone the extent of laying duties on for* eign importatioai, a measure recoauneodcd by Hi* Mijetty'a Mivis* '>i ;■ tert, who appartntly are novr beoooie to much of ophiio i thai firitlih ■ubjectii as long at they can «on of the supply i that the iiiost express urder.s have been ^ivcn 00 the subject of foreign exclusion. But the popular senti- uacot on the subject of a supply indepedcntly of the Uuiud Stateit is more decidedly evinced by the present increasing practice in the West ■ Indies, cipccially in Janaica, of appropriating a portion ofbnd towtrds raising stock and vegetableStfor the use otthe working peo* |)le Mf the plantattonsi parts of which have thus become f in the Face of other eitehtbl idvanttKCib enjoft d bf theif rWali. Tbi caie at tbii time ii very much altered. There are now people of el* tenij»e capital in the Province, who were bom in it, and are contc* quentty attached to the soil i and not lilie thoae poor emtgranti «rho were, many of them, originally overpertuadcd to come to a newcoun* try, and then left it on the occurrence of the fint obttaclct with which diteaie or war afflicted them. It it erroneoui to tuppoae that any exteoKtve eatablithmeat will thrive without the iup«rintendtng caw of opulent people, and where that deficiency eii«!i, lome meant moat be adopted to induce them to partake in the adventure i wheif once engaged, they naturally dinregard tmall obstacfei, and that which would p.ove fatal to a poor man'a efforts, whether in bad tcatont or other miafortunet, becomet an inducement to a rich one to redouble hit exertions. For the attainment of thii end, the Anicrican<<, at be* fore taid, established bounties, and by enacting them unalterably dur- ing a teriet of years, a cuniiJcncc in the continuance of that encour- agement accomplished the object in view. How far it nay become ne- ceaary for the Legislature to hold forth such an inducement in thia Province, is for them to determine, upon the existing ttate of the cate, and the reatoning which follows. The great impedimentt to the progress of the Cod-fithery, just at present, are the low price of the article ia the coloniet, 1 1/. to ij/ the quintal i the high price of salt, !£/: to so/ the hogthead ) ita irregular supply t and the very high duties imposed on fish in foreiea State*. or K Thia low price of fish in the coloniet it occasioned by the eompe* titbn of the French, the A.mericaps, and the British Merchanttin the foreign marketi of the Mediterranean, Spain, and Portugal, and of the Britiiih and American traders in our West^India and South A> merican possetsiont ;— and the high duties impoted by the appaient* ly mistaken policy of foreign European States. It became a very great misfortune to theBricish fishermen of New- foundland and North America,when, in consequence of the diplomat- ic arrangementa with France, which p oduced the treaty of peace with that country, not only the Itlan':t' of St. Pierre and Miquelon, but the better half of Newfoundland wu given up to the French. That concetsioa extends from Cape Ray westerly, and northerly to Cape St. Johna, where the abundance and convenienciet of tho fisheries are far superior to the eastern and southern divition, which Great'Britain hat reserved t *nd this advanUge necesaarily prodvcei another I which it the ability the French merchants thereby have, to contend with the British, in every market for fish, in the worid. Of thia pottettion they have already atoat abundantly availed themselvca, by bestowing from their preMntdcpretted gnancea (as atatedin tho cxaniwitioDi bcfo.rc a Conunittcc of tbf Hotuc of Comarant ia the SpriM SeiikiDt y Che ftretmt jear (1817) th«i«Hi.t rm.) Lt!ather/unmaiiitfu(;tNre(l)—<-n«rk« Slops — Natal .Stoiex— -Tobaco, (raw A- mann'actnipd)— .s<)ap_tin Ware.Acfcf .-^«ooks, (Am. Vdn.t.') -H NtatiooDrv 1 4 inprecedcnted lidom of this cnewcd upon '.at ufSHirs There i.i no incyi and «ced (itowed apoo an the nanr | ciri.uitou>4y, I bjtb of tbt lUndi woald, the Island*) ^ no longer a their Agri* nit led to tiie > matter bf >'ill remain in ]nivalent can lericant thdr >f the Weat- e numerotn ^e into the te yeart, anc introdnced nntaincd id nt;Wlnr»— * HiiJ Other. Dckiii|[«— — ■ufactaie of faina ; Teas -- NanLi'Siu. laim Hand, and iiitvjr id to lesaea idles* have tij are not abliih tkcir ary article* :he United cate "of a* (ofariieln ' « produced in theae Nortfterd Brttiah Coloniei, it aiiv be aaked wfiat othen the prople ofthe British Settlement* in the iilaada, lod oo tbt Southern Main itand in-necd of from them t No. ». FISH-Vii. fr. W Dr> Cod, . . . qtl. lU. W 8rul. t\ h (|>«llurk tt Imd. duck) .... qtl. W .Salmon, ^«>nok«d) e*. W Do. (picklcth bbl to IS4 (it. a** - ,, _... In* W Hvrriiif(t,l»uiivd,tio. keg &«6 W 1)0. {i'ii\'il) bl)'. liU WMackarel, „ bhl. f«U SUi.spr'g, JWi W Shad, ,, „ lOi W At«>Tivet orGanperfliii bl. S'i«0 W TOUKUI.I &! XOIIbdM, WOODS- Via. W Roardf),(pln«>) , W Do. ^»i)rncc) V Timber, (m.|.iioA) W Do. . (hard) W SUvcs, (anh chledv) W Do. .(oak CanadH) B Spars, (spruce) K H0111C Frames. W Hand pike»,(a»10 *)of. 12i W Oai», (ash) fl. M. rouith SM W Laths M.Hf W Hoops, ^ Mf W ClaptMjai'ds, . . . „ jfa M. 7Ss „ T0» ton «0« » "OJ M. H0« !i«in.( /IS U ill. ( !&• W Shiiifjlns, (|iine) ,, UM MI-iCELLAXIES-Viz. W I.ainp Oil, . . . ton /M W Urind-stoues, . . „ losir. W Oypsiiui, ....,, jss 2O1 WPre«to»i.(b«it) ?jl^?'?'"'JJ ' ' Jlhgs 1,«> an. ft, R Coal. . . . ; . eh. sru 43« U Uraaite Mill ttoaeis4i t't.ilO ' blown 25* 27iHI W F^eoce of Spruce, box W Infnsion of Rasplierry t 25 pr cent Rum and Brandy, l on R. or B. C Tallow, (N.S) . . lb. bit 9d 2i U bbl. tin W Biicki, . . . lone M. 64* W Soap, (N J.) lb. W. M. W Can.ilM.fN.S.) |b. li lifl AGRICULTURE-VU. W Bread (biscait) cwt. Ui M' Cruckeri. . . . koKiiSie W Cauada floor, bbl. 4it la.) lb. M tub iiktK 14 \W Oat* biiith. 2«0 W bauM, M Ha \V I'eas, » I'ta , ^. Potatoes, (20 bushts ) „ DOS H OniADs lb. R Apiilcs, . . . Sj*R Cyder, ... R Lq;s • . . , . doi. 1*6 W Urd, lb. lud W Beef, bbl. 70i WPork ,.90. R H«n*, (N'.S.) . WTong.«.,liBieg») w 1 npe, „ »? Ncats feet Oil, R HorsM, **"* ' fommon R Muliis, do Jj ^ C Np t Cattle, (stand'g) lb. R Hogs, ea. WSbrep „ POUI.TKV-Vij. R Turkiea, .... ea. 5* Dm;ks, pi-.3i0 Oeese, ca. Js f'owl*, pr.Sa HIDP.S-Vii. f^alf, ca. 5, M M «»a Ma aa la 80a •. VMM lOM lb. IM • a. !(ie lU 6i 2HI .il5.i2S «d Sir 50ia 2MS7aa 7« 4a ItO qt. ca, WSuet, (in kegs) bd itfi4RK.% C. Contractor's Prices. R. Retail do. W. Wliolpsalc do 201 ssa 15« I7MI ? Vov. \ I»IT. The Britiah Northern Colonttts arc not so unreasonable zn te claim Itom their fellow subjects in the West- Indies, higher prices in tiireof peace for those articles which thoy think ih 7 havt a preferable rlghc to fiiroish, than the A mericans wouW demand were thty actually pla- eed in rimilar circumstances with them. But so Ur^ as an Amcricati eaa make bit front, as U in fact the case, out of the above cnumera- JO \ * ted list of illicit irticlea No. r, foreiga and domestic, the articles eon* tamed m the legitimate list No. 2, the produce of these Colonies, ne- ver can yield a profit ; for the American, thus assisted, can afford to make a »ery small freight upor fish and lumber, for instance, and even run the risk, at times, of losing by them j relying principally for his profits, upon those which these northern Colonists have neither thie means nor the inclination to meddle with. If the British Northern CaJonists can furnish the islands with the Lirt No. a, (and they can do so to a profit if they meet with due en- couragement). The West-India Planters have acknowledged thet ought to be permitted to do it, unmolested. But the prices at this time, contained in table No. 2, will never permit them to effect it ac the present tale prJces, and more especially so, when the prices of Island produce are taken into the account. But when it is consider* C(lthat the fibherrtan's sale price, properly speaking, is a quintal of dry cod-fish for a hpgshead of salt, that the price of salt during the last summer and the present autumn in Halifax, has been 15/ to io/ a hogshead— -and fish in this season from lof to ji/ the quintal of lia lbs —that this has been the general price, though within a few weeks, in consequence of a casual demand, fiih has risen to it/ per quintal, it mu.t be confessed that under these circumstances, the poot man's case is very deplorable. The proximity of these Atlantic Provinces and Islands to the FisbingBanks, immediately southward of the shores, apd the unboun. ded resort of Salmon and Small Fish, to most of the harbours, are a boon offered by nature to the industry of the inhabitants 1 and if peo- pie of capital can be induced to take a personal risk in the catching of fish, as IS the case in New-England, there can be no doubt the article »viH be furnished as low in price, by these colonies, as by France or the United States. The Provincial Legislatures, need only show their good will towards them, by a steady encouragement during a few years, and then the resident individuals of the coIoQie^will exert them, selves to tffect objects in aid of public means, that have hitherto Uin dormant for want of those incitetjents. It now remains brieflf to ex- plain this part of (he subject There are two means by which the price of Fish may be reduced » FiasT, by takingand curing a larger quanrity of them with the same labour and cxpence of outfit,as is bestowed on that lesser quantity ta- ken and curid at present. And, Shcond, by Aimishing to thefish- eimcn a regular supply of Salt, at a reasonable price. We have al. ready sUted that a quintal offish ought to bear an exchange for a hogshead of Salt, and to long as this takes place the fishenaao gea- erally speakwg, » content ; but,at any, rate with this equivalent, be the pnce higher or lower, he can always support his family ; yet, by th'i rule the higher the price,the greater his profits. But that i« not II the cUflC with the Merchant ; the higher the article the less be has ic in hia power to contend with his rivals at other maiketii. His rul^ is this,— The price of Fi^h must absolutely be no higher than tt'ai taken by the French aa-lthe AmcriLans. The mode of Fishing for Cod from the United States is peculiar to ^h' tnre'.ves, — i. cither the Dutchi the rie;t»inR9, the French, noif' the inhabitants of Jersey and Guernsey, though the latter are the old • est fishermen on these coasts, are practiced in it. In New England the crew consists in general of twelve persons in a Vessel of from 7a to 80 tons. 1st, The Skipper or Master, who is also the Spfitler i —id, The SaUer fsJ, TheffeiJer ;~4/A, The Throaltr. The ret* of the crew are common hands, and arc UMially admitted by the infla« ence of the Skipper, who takes from eachfOne fi^h in a certain number \ -~all the officers of the crew give him usually one in sixty-four.» They all fish together or in tutb, and every man and boy has his binac and puts in at fast as he catches. When the Skipper sees fit'^ hd calls out " Strike'' and every one quitF fishing,»the fish in each person's binn are counted ; and, as they come io the nnmber agreed on whh the Skipper.one i' pu: into ^iV binn.-— The Skipper'sbinn it t'^ountcd ls(st ofall ; each per.son has credit in the Skipper's TallV for what he catches, not countitt^ the allowance to the Skipper,.wha has credit for all Fish found in his own binn. The Officers then go to work to SpTtt, to Head, to Throat, and to Salt ; the rest of the erevr to prepare the next meal, and to do other necessary work. The ardor of the crews, under a good Skipper, is often such, that they only take time to eat and ne ot othei of them are always at work except on the Sabbath. 1 Ac whole are bound by fixed rules custom- ary in the port from whence they sail, on principles of the strictesc economy and sobriety. The act of drying the Fi-.h on ehore is per* formed alaoon Shares, agreed on bttween those who catch and those «*ho dry. As soon as tlic* veisel is loaded on the Banks with graea Fiah— .the crew hoist a flag at the mast-head, at a tignal to other vea* •ell in company, who send their boats on board with letters or ms^aa* ges to their respective families, then seldom wait more than an hour, up anchor and proceed into hatbour, the flag flying. The Fish are then counted out to the owner of the vessel, who givct a receipt for the share belonging to the crew, retaining his onn proportion for the vessel, and outfits as previously agrreed on. More Salt, Provision*, &c. Sec. are immediately put on board, and the vcsael salts again for the Banki, perhaps the ftcxt morning. The owner 00 shore (.vho probably ^ails t: dcren such vessels in one 8eaaon)then begins to dry the fi$h,the people und^r ^im b;inga1so em« ployed on shares. At the end of the season about the 3cth of November, the moat convenient und enitahle vessels are tittc' out for the We*t«' ladiesi witk the inferior fish} making part of an assorted cargo ; and other v«5el8 are sent to otiier marlc.ts with the' picked fish, or lo England wuh the oil, and return in time for theensuing «a»^n abou? the aoth of March. In thi8 manner, every person from ?he bo, to the Skipper .. .timulated to exertion , and. at the end of the .easoo hi knows accurately what he » to receive. The o Jner in the li t,me nuke, advances to each person', famify as pSX d re^d and the whole is conducted in the n.o« pcrfect^arLny and r^u a^^^^^^ upon princples and ancieot habits that arc known to every ?ne ind cannot admit of wrangling or cavil. ^ °^*'' ""** Some vessels naake only one trip to the Banks between thi. *«»». •fMarch and the 20th of May , a„d then g^to "h Lafar Sor rl turning from thence about the aoth of September • and then on^;.! J«y.ge to the Bank, before the end of NoSer wh^'alwa^ cIo I thj fishing .ea.on.--At the Labrador, the crews fish on ht 1 ,^,7^ the fi.h are cured on the spot.which is not always the ca^e. a ponion of the crew ,8 employed on shore to dry the fish, p'han, « w,. before stated, the Merchant owns ten or^welve of these vesfels IB which he sends to the Labrador in company with a shJn or hi i ..up„cargo on board, who delivers ouf the Ttore, and^uperKdi the whole of the fleet, the ship also fishing with the res? hS« ttd refulI^^S tT"F ^T''^" '^' *'»»" '""'^ ««h '»'c green Sfw Th«l- "k '°"*;* ''ri^g.-^lt'ed all accounts with fve ^ crew. The ship or brig is loaded with the best of the fi»h. and 3 the supracargo proceeds to the Mediterranean. Spa n, Portu " I Ma thereany thing in aU this practice, but may be accJniuly S«ed by these Colonies, provided they possess thi same SnK X wme perseverance, and the «ime legislative encouragement " * ' The Nova-Scotia Shore fishery for Cod, is carHed on in boat, wluch seldom go out of sight of land, and ^re usually at home every & J*"P«°P>*« «Mo« much above povefty, fo?no„e but those will engage in an employment of such fatigue wit is. Judi «g comparatively with the Lh brought to markef, k oc uS s a St rior inT„:S r.f • ^." '^' .'^"V"^ °f '^' ^^^ " esteemed s^up" nor m general to those taken and salted on the banks The «m. pe«oa ., usually both a Fisherman ai>d Farmer, and t'hereb/ spolft ?d Hxh, or la Ka&on about c boy to the : eeasoD, he in the mean ly directed, i regularity, rjr one, and :n the 20th ibrador, re< sn one other ways closes he anm«, or , that when •t a portion ape, as was :s8el8, all of •r brig, and iperintends t havin jr a le CaUi 13 I the green with every >>and with tugal, Ma- thence re- n time, by : had done of people, rmarriagea : thriving asked, is r imitated tion, the in boats •me every none but > Judg- est great led 8upe> he same 7 spoirg 15 both employmenta. —Every little Cove contains a fewfacaiUes—thoss vvho live within reach of the harbour of Halifax, and other towns, re« sort to their markets with fresh h-ih at times ;— but the general and greater number of those who ire engaged in the shore fishery, are much secluded i and, on that account, even though the practice would admit of improvement, it would be almost impossible to intro- duce anvi — but, in fact, it is of a nature not susceptible of any ini« provement what ever.— M^ny attemjits have been made to extend fiome encouragemt to these people, but the abuses have been such that in wh^tev-r way given, they have never been steadily pursued ; which is of itself an obstacle, in all catei, sufficient to prevent any good ef> fects, even though the object itself were otherwise attainable. The best means of extending encouragement to the shore fishery, is by a steady supply of salt, at a reasonable price. Bounties have been sometimes given upun the quintal ; — but the effects are felt no longer than the bounty lasts. A bounty so bestowed, though it should ex« haust the Treasury, would never improve the Fishery. The subject of BouRties has long engaged the attention of the Le« gislature of the Province ; and, owing to the various means through which tliey can be extended, and on which they can be applied— no steady txperiment has ever been pur<>ued on any one object. The (ore^ning facts therefore have been stated, and the reasoning made ii^e of has been applied to those facts, principally with the design of fixing upon some means through wliidi the drooping commerce of this Province may be encouraged and directed into new channels, oc the old on<8 revived and improved. Thert have often been invidious distinctions made between the commercial and agricultural interests olthis Province. To refute ef* fectually a position so unauthorised, a reference need only be made to the Table No. 2, and then let such persons as have suffered them> selves to be warped by so strange a theory, be askedtwhetheror not |t full supply of those articles of ^Agriculture ; the Fisheries ; Miscel* laiiies, and from the Woods, would furnish employment to the resi* dents of Nova-Scoiia ; and if the answer proved to be in the affirms* tive,. let such perrons then point out the means by which those arti* cles are to be conveyed to market. The Cbmniittee know of nonc~> unless it be through the medium of commercial men. There are very few v tides contained in the list in question No. a, but what are carried to the West-Indies, by the States Americans ; and if the people of these Provinces expect to exclude the American vessels from thence, ttiey will find it to be necessary that every branch of employ* ment furnishing the articlea contained in the list No. 2, should meet suitable encouragement, ic order that they may be carried there, and bring back those returns, without which, there can arise no revenue. Those who, supply timber will soon discover that no veisela will arrive i H to aiTjr off thittrticlc, if a freight outward cannot be secured j un. Wa indeed, they will consent ihat the whole burthen of the voyajrc afcan be charged with the othfr expense. . upon the commodity home to turope ;--there is no other aniclc, but sa!t,~unl- i it be store ftoods, in a very limited degree.that will furnish that outward freight. IP timber and salt should fail, and con8eq(uentIy the fi heriea, from what source »s the Treasuty to be filled ? In iruth, they all depend for tuccess upon each other,and, reasonably supported, they will all do well. It if^ now a considerable number of years since the succeaaiveHalifax Committees began to solicit theLcgisIature to grant cvenfual bounties on saIt,aB the surest relief in their opinioin,wh5ch theFisheries could re- eei»e, and they have alwaya requested that the same shouW be enacted ftBrasene8ofycar8,in ordtrthat the merchants at home may feel assured pi support;— for if such a bounty is granted dnring one rear only- it expires nearly before the English merchants can send cargoes out in •eaaoo— and their experience has proved to them that hitherto there lias been no dependence upon a like bounty in a second year. . . * Committee is well aware that the revenues of the Province have their limits; and that the effects of the peace have greatly curtailed cveo those resources, which-proved very ample during the last veara ef tbewar ;--but they yet hope that adequate means will, notWith- •tanding, be found to grant some stimulant to the Agriculture of the i;rovjnce at Iarge;as every well-wisher to its commerce, feeling a dc- Jire to locrease the exports to the West-Indies and Newfound, land, most be convinced that the produce of the country will ever turnisb a most important proportion of the Mipplies to those The Labrador fishery for Cod, Salmon, and Small Fish, is one of Tcry great interest, and haiKjften, during many years, occupied the «e- dirions attention of the Halifax Committees ;— for there was a period whea the States American vessels, resorted to those shores in such •xcessive numbers, and the crews conducted themselves with such l^ross improprieties towards His Majesty's Subjects, under claim of xight, founded on the third article of the treaty of 1783, that the !T^\ Fishermen could no longer contend with them. It has been ordered by His Majeny's Ministers, that this third article, as far as 1. li*^ ** *''* "*°" "^ ^'*"''' belonging to the United States, sboold be considered as null and void, from the period n which the late war with that nation commenced, and instruction!, have been giv- en to this effect to the several superintending officers upon these •orihern stations. But the Halifax Commhtee has been lately m- formed that there was a considerable resort of States American fish- fag vessels upon the Labrador shores daring the late season— The Committee, being of opinion that this fishery, if kept clear of intru- der?, will prove highly bcDcncial, have it in contcmplgtion to address cored ; un« the voyage lodity home I it be store ard freight, leriet, ^om I depend for I all do well, sive Halifax mI bounties ies could re« I be enarted feel assured ear only — ■goes out in terto there :ar. ovince have ly curtailed : last years III notwith* Iture of the :eling a de* Newfound* r will ever to those I* is one of ied the se- as a period es in snch with such er claim of 3r that the t has been I as far as ed Stateff. which the r been giv ipon these lately m- rican fish- son— The of intru- to address IS Tour Lordship on tliis subject,— for the Coflftanittce veil koowi aa4 His Majesty's Ministers, by this time, are well aware, that the Anc* ricans, from the first dawn of their government, have practiced upon the principle, *' to assume all they can acquire, and never yieU any thing.'*— The Committee, therefore, flatter themscWcit that • people whom it is so diffi«ult to fix, will be dealt with under that re« tarvc which dire experience b»s rendered so neecssary . A. H. ifOLLANP, PfiatMS^