The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-16 00:00:00

The Salmon Fisheries of the West,

An important and influential meeting of landed
proprietors, conservators, and others interested in
the salmon fisheries of the western counties was

held at the Guildhall, at Exeter, on Friday after-
noon, under the presidency of the Right Worshipful
the Mayor of that city (Mr. R. T. Head), The
meeting was convened for the purpose of consider-
ing the provisions of the bill proposed to be intro-
duced in the ensuing session by the Government for

the purpose of amending the Salmon Fisheries Act

of 1861, and of giving increased powers to those
appointed to aid in the restoration of the salmon

rivers in this kingdom.
Mr. Ffennell, the Inspector of Salmon Fisheries
attended, for the purpose of explaining the chie:

provisions of the bill, and to hear any suggestions
with reference to the modification or additions

which might be proposed.
The meetingwas numerously attended, and among
those present were—Earl Fortescue, Sir H. F.
Davie, M.P., Mr. S. T. Kekewich, M.P., Mr. T.
Miehelmore (agent for the Duke of Somerset), Mr.
J. 11. Kennaway, Capt. Edwards, Capt. Whyte.

R.N., Mr. Pinkett, Mr. W. F. Collier, Mr. T. M
Snow, J. M. Sillifant, Mr. R. Sanders, Messrs. J

and H. Michelmore, Mr. H. Drew (agent for the
Hon. Mark Rolle), Mr. Bassett, &c.
Mr. FFENNELL, at the request of the Mayor,
brought before the meeting the chief provisions of

the contemplated bill at some length. The presence

of so large and influential a meeting was, he said,

very gratifying to him, because it was an earnest of
the anxiety and zeal to:develope the salmon fisheries
of this county and to redeem them from the ruin
into which they had fallen. It was not long since
that improved legislation had been brought to bear
in the matter. In 1860 a commission, on which he
had the honour of serving, was issued, and emanat-

ing from the evidence then taken was the Salmon
Fisheries Act of 1861. It was encouraging to find
that, notwithstanding the shortcomings of that act,
a great deal of good had been done, and people
were now sensibly aware that if the good work

were pursued there was no doubt that large
and important results to the country would
inevitably follow. (Hear, hear.) In the Taw and
Torridge Rivers in North Devon, for instance, more
salmon had been taken in the past two seasons than
had ever been known before. Six or seven a season
had been about the average of fish caught in these
rivers, but in the past season 401. worth had been
taken, and it was not too much to expect that this
quantity would soon be quadrupled. By the Act of
1861 there was no provision for obtaining funds
wherewith to devise measures for the protection of
fish. There were two fundamental things necessary
to revive the salmon fisheries—first the removal of
obstructions to the ascent of the fish up the rivers,
and, secondly, to protect them when they were up.
(Hear, hear.) In Ireland funds had been raised by
the imposition of a licence duty on all rods, nets,
and engines employed in catching the salmon, and
the rivers were placed under Boards of Conserva-
tors, by whom water bailiffs were appointed. These
bailiffs had power to pass along the banks and to
examine all nets, &c., and to prosecute all persons
offendingagainst the provisions of the Act. In Eng-
land, however, no such powers existed, the Act of
1861 only giving power to Courts of Quarter Ses-
sion to appoint conservators, who were conservators
only in name, for the Act vested no powers in them
—and the protection of the salmon has consequently
only been carried out by those who set themselve4
or were employed to watch the rivers with the view
of getting half the penalty in any case of conviction
where they were the informants. The bill now
printed therefore proposed to create funds, &c., by
similar provisions to the Act which had for many
Titeaersssewntoiraklleydnwecelless,
r Ireland.y
that
t shhoeuicdobensidsoermede
heArend
means devised for raising funds,
for, although large
amounts had in some cases been
obtained for the
protection of salmon in various • rivers in England,
long experience had shown him that sooner or later
the voluntary principle failed,
and
even those who
had been most forward in ra* • ising subscriptions
now desired that a compulsory measure
should be adopted. In the first instance the
magistrates at quarter sessions were to appoint a
preliminary committee, by whom it would be de-
cided whether the county should be brought
under the provisions of the new bill, the power of
adoption or rejection being proposed to be left in
the hands of magistrates and persons interested in
the fisheries in each county.nte din Wh
caseen the
of adoption, Board of
Conservators were appoi,
the functions of the original committee ceased, the
management of the river being vested in the Boards.
Magistrates, owners of fisheries, and persons follow-
ing the avocation of fishermen were eligible for elec-
tion on the board. The district of each river would
pe_ fixed by the Home-office, a certain portion of the
seaboard on either sideof the estuary being included.
Every engine within the
then contribute
according to its capacity of capture
to one
common fund, wl • h
0
would be manarad ar
expended by the B
were, however, many rivers rcl of
Conservators.
rivie
being restored, but which had in England capable ol
been so neglected and
abused that at the present time there were few, if
any, engines to tax, and he feared
of these. This createdthe Exe was one
a great difficulty,for •
hopeless to think of raising J...
anything like euffiden,

There