The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY

other ineffectual efforts to induce his Lordship to with-
draw the clause ; and eventually your Committee, with
very great reluctance, acting under the advice of Sir
Thoms,s Winnington, consented to the withdrawal of
the Bill.
" From the experience of your Committee in the fate
of the Bills introduced in the two last sessions of Par-
liament, they are of opinion that this Association is not
in itself sufficiently powerful to carry a measure of so
much importance as the regulation of the salmon fisheries
throughout England and Wales, and that some more
powerful agency should be set to work, in ord to make
a successful attempt to remove the existing abuses.
Under these circumstances, and, looking also to the
report of the Commissioners on the Irish Fisheries, re-
cently published (the perusal of which they strongly re-
commend to all who are interested in the protecti,n of
salmon fisheries), they are of opinion that the more cer-
tain way of obtaining a just law on the subject would be
by the Association memorialising the Government,
through the Board of Trade, to appoint a Commission
similar in effect to the Irish Commission.
" From the various reports which have been received
from the upper and lower portions of the Severn, it ap-
pears that salmon are more plentiful now than they have
been for many years, particularly in the lower part of
the river, in the locality of the Putt Fisheries ; in our
own immediate neighbourhood also a large proportion
of fish have been taken by the Worcester fishermen.
When they have been inclined to work, the number
taken has been three-fold what it was a few years since.
The present price of Severn Salmon in Gloucestershire
is 6d. per lb. ; the average price here has been from Is.
to ls. 6d., when at the same time Scotch and Irish fish
have sold for 6d. and Bd. The high price which the Se-
vern salmon caught by our fishermen fetches, must be at-
tributed to the superior quality of the fish and its par-
tial supply, and this latter circumstance, coupled with
the fact of the men working their nets only when it suits
their inclination or convenience, strongly induces your
committee to recommend that some plan should be
adopted, either by the formation of a company or other-
wise, whereby to secure a regular fishing, and, as a na-
tural result, a regular supply of fish. The Committee
have hitherto forborne to take any steps which might be
considered as opposed to the interests of the Worcester
fishermen ; but when they see a whole month pass away,
without a single attempt being made to take salmon, at
a time when it was known that large quantities are pass-
ing up the river, as was the case during the past month
of August, they think they are bound to take some
steps in order to supply the public wants.
Among the resolutions adopted at this meeting were
the following:—
" That rom the experience which the Central Com-
mittee have had in the fate of the Bills introduced in
the two last sessions, this meeting is of opinion that the
Association is not in itself sufficiently powerful to carry
a measure through Parliament of so much importance
as the regulation of the salmon fisheries throughont
England and Wales, it therefore strongly recommends
to the Central Committee to take steps to procure an
interview with the Board of Trade, or any other public
department, for the purpose of inducing the Govern-
ment to take such steps by a general Act, or otherwise,
as to them may seem best adapted to promote the im-
provement of the fisheries, and that they solicit the co-
operation of other associations which have the same
object in view, and that a copy of these resolutions be
transmitted to the Members of the county and city, so-
liciting their earnest support."

side, however, the protective system counts its partisans
at the present day, not only amongst those whose for-
tunes
we believe are made by it, but amongst men who
are evidently quite disinterested in the discussion. Cer-
tain great interests declare that the qnestion of the main-
tenace or the destruction of the protective system is
with them a question of life and death. It is even
impossible to conceal from ourselves that certain
industries, whose great value none can contest, have
flourished by means of this system, and, thanks to it,
have arrived at a great degree of prosperity. We do
not hesitate to say that our choice 15 made, We are
advocates for free trade, in the sense that we consider it
an object which ought to be attained gradually, and by
constantly approaching towards it as far as circumstances
will permit. The protective system, interpreted by
prohibition, for it is always in that tense that the term
is used, may be very favourable to a particular branch
of industry, specially protected while in its infancy,
but once that a country has taken great strides in
a manufacturing career, the system, it will be seen, be-
comes injurious ; it arrests the progress of the arts
which it pretends to protect, and which often believe
themselves efficaciously protected i it opposes the natural
order of things, in causing prohibition by way of repri-
sals against foreign countries, and in impeding by re-
strictions and augmentations in the price of the raw ma-
terial at home, those branches of manufactures in which
the country succeeds the best. It gives a bad direction
to national capital, and maintains an artificial and bur-
densome state of things by creating factitious industries
which lire as in a hot-house, and do not produce results
equivalent to the labour they absorb. It institutes and
tends to perpetuate inequalities when the law has wished
to give to every citizen equal facilities. The great majo-
rity of those who support it are led astray by prejudices
and by false calculations. They have not correctly esti-
mated and placed in parallel what it costs and what it
produces, not only to the state and to the country, but
to themselves. They only see the apparent profits, and
deceive themselves as to the charges. The present
moment offers, for the organisation of international
exchanges on a more liberal footing, conditions ex-
tremely favourable, and which may perhaps never be
again found, if not now taken advantage of.