The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-22 00:00:00

British Fisheries S ociety.

The annual general meeting in pursuance of the
Act 20 and 21 Vic., C. 93, was held yesterday, at
Willis's Rooms, King-street, St. James's. Mr.
George Loch occupied the chair, and was supported
by Sir Graham Montgomery, M.P., M ljor M'Leay,
Capt. Tudor, R.N., and others. The report, which
was read by Mr. Macleod of Macleod (the secretary),
stated that the directors, finding that the cost of the
harbour works in Wick Bay would exceed the
amount they originally contemplated, had resolved
to apply for an additional loan, and had accord-
ingly addressed communications to the Board of
Trade and to the Public Works Loan Commissioners.
The Board of Trade formally approved of the fur-
ther loan of £20,000, in addition to the sum of
£60,000 already applied for. The reply of the Loan
Commissioners was es fol'ows :
South Sea House, June 19, 1863.

Sirs,—l am directed to inform you that this board hav-
ing had under consideration the application of the British
Fisheries Society for a loan of £30,000 under the Harbours
and Passing Tolls, &c.. Act, 1861, for the purpose of cer-
tain harbour works in the Bay of Wick, have resolved so
far as regards £60,000 of that sum to grant a loan to that
extent in aid of the expense of constructing the eastern
breakwater, such loan to be advanced as follows :—£20,000
in 1864, £ AOOO in 1865, and £lO,OOO in 1866, by such in-
stalments and at such times as may be arranged between
this board's secretary and the British Fisheries Society, the
first advance to be subject to the production of evidence to
the satisfaction of this board of the expenditure out of the
funds of the society of £40,000 upon the works, and the sub-
sequent advances subject to the production of similar evi-
dence of the expenditure of the preceding advance ; each in-
stalment to be secured by a mortgage of the harbour re-
venues, and all tolls and other income derivable from the
undertaking, and to be repayable by 45 annual instalments,
the first to be paid at the expiration of the fifth year from
the date of each advance, interest at 31 per cent. to be paid
annually on the principal sums from time to time remaining
unpaid. The duo application of such advance is to be
secured by a bond to her Majesty from the directors of the
society, or the major part of them. lam further to ac-
quaint you that the consideration of the application, so far
as relates to the sum of £20,000 required for the transverse
breakwater, is postponed, until the eastern breakwater and
works shall have been completed, or until the plans for
such transverse breakwater shall have been approved by the
proper authorities, and submitted to this board.
On the receipt of the letters from the Board of
Trade and the commissioners, immediate directions
had been given for entering into arrangements with
the contractor, and Mr. Hunter having withdrawn
his tender, that of Messrs. Macdonald, of Glasgow,
had been finally accepted ; the snm agreed upon for
the various works being .£105,70.1. No time had
been lost in preparing the contract, and it being
understood that the inhabitants of Wick and Pul-
teney-town were desirous of showing their interest
in the construction of these works, it was resolved
that there should be a ceremony on the occasion of
laying the first stone of the eastern breakwater.
Tae necessary arrangements were made by the
contractor, and on the Ist of October the first
stone was laid by the Countess of Caithness, in
presence of a deputation from the board of directors
and a large assemblage of persons, an imposing pro-
cession of trades with banners, proving (if any proof
were wanting) how much alive the industrious com-
munity of Caithness were to the importance of the
undertaking, and the benefits it would confer upon
them. The contractor hed since that time been en-
gaged in the arrangements necessary for carrying on
the works with vigour. A number of men were em-
ployed, and the directors hoped that during the
ensuing summer he would be enabled to make good