Preamble.

15 GEO. III. Cap. 31.

An act for the encouragement of the Fif eries carried on from Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Dominions in Europe, and for fecuring the return of the fishermen, failors, and others employed in the faid fisheries, to the ports thereof, at the end of the fifbing feafon.

WH

HEREAS the fisheries carried on by his Majefty's fubjects of Great Britain, and of the British dominions in Europe have been found to be the beft nurseries for able and experienced feamen, always ready to man the royal navy when occafions require; and it is therefore of the highest national importance to give all due encouragement to the faid fisheries, and to endeavour to secure the annual return of the fishermen, failors, and others employed therein, to the ports of Great Britain, and of his Majefty's dominions before-mentioned, at the end of every fishing feafon: Now, in order to promote these great and important purpofes, and with a view, in the first place, to induce his Majefty's fubjects to proceed early from the ports of Great Britain to the banks of Newfoundland, and thereby to prosecute the fishery on the faid banks to the greatest advantage, may it please Your Majesty that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the King's most ex

cellent

ties to be

given to vefels fitted out

from Great

excellent Majefty, by and with the advice and confent of the Lords fpiritual and temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament aflembled, and by the authority of the fame, That, from and after After Jan. 1, the first day of January one thousand feven 1776, bounhundred and feventy-fix, the refpective bounties herein-after mentioned fhall be paid and allowed annually, for eleven Britain or Ire years, for a certain number of fhips or land for the Newfoundland veffels employed in the Britifh fishery on fithery, the banks of Newfoundland, under the limitations and restrictions herein-after expreffed; that is to fay, fuch veffels fhall appear by their regifter to be British built, and owned by his Majefty's fubjects refiding in Great Britain or Ireland, or the iflands of Guernsey, Jersey, or Man; and be of the burthen of fifty tons or upwards, and navigated with not lefs than fifteen men each, three-fourths of whom, besides the master, fhall be his Majefty's subjects; and in other refpects qualified, and fubject to the fame rules and restrictions, as are defcribed by an act, made in the tenth and eleventh years of the reign of the late King William the third, (intituled, An act to encourage the trade to Newfoundland); and fhall be fitted and cleared out from fome port in Great Britain after the faid first day of January one thoufand seven hundred and feventy-fix, and after that day in each fucceeding year, and fhall proceed to the banks of Newfound land; and having catched a cargo of fish [B]

upon

qualified as by act 10 & 11

Gul. III.

upon those banks, confifting of not lefs than ten thousand fish by tale, fhall land the fame at one of the ports on the fouthern or eastern fide of the island of New

foundland, between Cape Ray and Cape de Grat, on or before the fifteenth day of July in each year; and fhall make one more trip at least to the faid banks, and return with another cargo of fish catched there to the fame port; in which cafe, the twenty-five veffels first arriving at the faid ifland of Newfoundland from the banks thereof, with a cargo of fifh catched there, confifting of ten thoufand fish by tale at the leaft, and after landing the fame at one of the ports within the limits before mentioned in Newfoundland, fhall proceed again to the faid banks, and return to the faid ifland with another cargo of fish, shall be intitled to forty pounds each; and one hundred veffels which fhall fo arrive the next in order of time, on or before the faid fifteenth day of July in each year, at the faid ifland, with a like cargo, and fhall proceed again to the faid banks, and return from thence in the manner herein-before mentioned, fhall be intitled to twenty pounds each; and one hundred other veffels which fhall fo arrive the next in order of time, on or before the faid fifteenth day of July in each year, at the faid ifland, with a like cargo, and fhall proceed again to the faid banks, and return from thence in the manner herein-before mentioned, fhall be

intitled

to the collec

vernor of

thips, &c.

intitled to ten pounds each, upon the Certificates to master or owner of fuch veffel's producing be produced to the collector of his Majefty's customs tor of cuftoms at the port in Great Britain from whence from the go. fuch veffel was cleared out a certificate, Newfoundland, under the hand and feal of the governor of the quali of Newfoundland, that the mafter of fuch fication of veffel had produced to him a certificate under the hands of the collector and comptroller of the customs at the port from whence fuch veffel was cleared out, testifying that fuch veffel was duly qualified to proceed on fuch fifhery, in purfuance of the before-mentioned act, made in the tenth and eleventh years of King William the third; and that it has been made appear to his fatisfaction, by a certificate under the hand and feal of the naval officer of the district in Newfoundland, where fuch fifh was landed, or where there is no naval officer, under the hand and feal of the commander of any of his Majesty's fhips ftationed there, or of fuch officer as the governor fhall approve, fpecifying the time of fuch vessel's arrival, in manner before directed, that fuch veffel was intitled by the priority and time of her arrival to one or other of the bounties therein mentioned, as the fact may be; and that the mafter and Mafers and mate of fuch veffel had made oath before mates to fuch naval or other officer as aforefaid, make oath. that the number of fish taken on the first trip amounted to ten thousand at least by tale, that he had made two trips at least,

Certificates and oaths to be granted and adminif

tered without fee.

cuftoms to

ties.

and that all the fish on both trips were catched on the banks of Newfoundland; which certificate and oath the faid governor and naval or other officer as aforefaid are hereby impowered and required to grant and adminifter to the mafter and mate of fuch veffel without fee or reward; and upon delivering up the faid certificate Collectors of to fuch collector, the refpective bounties pay the boun- therein mentioned fhall be paid by fuch collector out of any money remaining in his hands arifing by the duties of customs or other fubfidies upon foreign goods imported into this kingdom; and in cafe fuch collector fhall not have fufficient money in his hands to pay the faid bounties, he fhall certify the fame to the commiffioners of his Majesty's customs in England or Scotland refpectively, who are hereby authorised and required to order the fame to be paid by the receiver general of the customs, out of any money in his hands arifing by any of the duties and revenues under their management refpectively.

Any part of Newfoundland not in ufe nay be used for cuing and drying fish.

2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That for the better accommodation of the perfons belonging to veffels employed in the Newfoundland fifhery, it fhall and may be lawful for the mafters and crews belonging to any veffels fitted out and employed in that fishery in pursuance of this or any other act, to octupy and ufe, for the purpose of curing,

falting,