The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-04 00:00:00

SALMON FISHERIES BILL.

On the motion for gOingintocommittee,
Mr. M'MAHON stated, in reply to Mr. Maguire, that
he had no objection to introduce certain amendments,
emanating from the corporation of Cork.
Lord FERMOY then moved that the bill be submitted
to a select committee. This bill was a far more objection-
able measure than the one introduced by the hon. member
for Wexford (Mr. M'Mahon). That was a far more simple
and comprehensive measure than the one now before it
The old measure referred chiefly to the deep sea fisheries,
whereas the one now before the house proposed to mate-
rially interfere with the vested rights of the owners of the
river fisheries. The committee to which the bill of last year
was referred was not properly constituted ; therefore he
desired to have the bill submitted to a new committee more
properly balanced, fairly representing all the fishery in-
terests in Ireland, and if the house acceded to his motion
he would take care that this was done. The hon. and
learned member for Wexford stated the other night that
the bill was hurried through the house. Why, he had a
painful recollection of sitting during thp summer of 1842,0 n a
Salmon Fieheriesßill,so that the hon, and learned gentleman
spoke in ignorance of the subject. He read the names of
the committee of 1842, and characterised the list (with the
exception of his own name) as goodand competent a one as
could well have been struck at that time. (Hear, hear.)
The subject was then thoroughly investigated. New
interests were created by a bill of 1842, and
they could not well be put aside by a bill
of this kind. If it was tine that, since 1842, the produc-
tion of salmon had diminished, then let the powers given
by that bill be modified ; but he was prepared to contend,
and to demonstrate by the unerring test of figures, that
during the last 20 years the production of salmon had
gradually increased, and especially during the last
and two preceding years. He therefore challenged
the hon. and learned member to descend to particulars,
as the Scotch said, instead of making the haphazard state-
ments he had put before the house. It was quite true that
the operations of the millers destroyed spawn and greatly
injured the productions of salmon, but the bill would
not deal at all with evils of this kind. The
effect of the bill would be to take money out of the pockets
of the owners of the lower fisheries, and to place it in the
hands of the owners of royalties and the millers, who would
doubtless be much obliged to the hon. and learned mem-
ber for gettints them a one-sided measure of this kind. The
owners of the fisheries desired to have their rights in-
vestigated by a properly constituted tribunal up stairs,
though he would rather that the matter were taken by her
Majesty's Government. The owners of the fisheries in
Ireland ought not to be legislatively garotted in the way
proposed. They did not think the present law was quite
perfect, and were prepared to amend it. The owners of the
fisheries would consent to take up their stake nets if the
up per proprietors would throw open their lax weirs. The
lower
proprietors got a bad supply of fish. (Hear, hear.)
The proprietors of the lower fisheries would, however, meet
the supporters of this bill half way. If any man in Ireland
t
understood the nature of the salmon fisheries it
w
Dedra9ll4--(hear, hear),—aud he
was
at a lon to
hali r Mr, oughlY