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

SALMON FISHERIES OF ENGLAND
AND WALES.
The importance of the salmon fisheries of England
and Wales cannot well be overrated ; and it is gratifying
to observe the efforts making towards their reformation
by the United Association for the Protection of the
Fisheries of the River Severn and its Tributaries. At
the late (the third) anniversary meeting of the members
of that Association, held at the Guildhall, Worcester, a
few dap since, J. M. Guteh, Esq., in the chair, the
Chairman presented and read a report of the Central
Committee, from which the following are extracts :
" The principal subject which has occupied the-atten-
tion of your cp,rurnittce since the last anniversary, has
been the reintroduction of, and attempt to carry through
Parliament, a Bill to regulate the Salmon Fisheries of
England and Wales, which was considered by the Com-
mittee vitally to concern the interests of the Association.
This Bill, although materially altered in detail, was in
principle the same which was promoted by the Associa-
tion in the preceding year. It was introduced into the
House of Commons on the 16th of February by Sir
T. Winnington, Lord R. Grosvenor, and Mr. (now Sir
J. Pakington, Sir T. Winnington taking charge of it. It
was to be committed on the 6th of May. In the mean time
many alterations were suggested, and objections made,
by fishery proprietors, and other persons and associa-
tions in different parts of the kingdom, most of which
the Committee were enabled to comply with, but in
order to arrange matters amicably, and to satisfy all
parties, as far as your Committee consistently could,
without affecting the principle of the Bill, they deputed
your chairman, solicitor, and secretary, to attend a
meeting in London of parties interested in the measure
on the 3Gth of April. The whole of the clauses in the
Bill were gone through seriatim,- all parties were appa-
rently agreed as to the alterations to be made, and the
deputation had hoped, from the satisfactory manner in
which the meeting terminated, that the Bill would have
passed without much opposition; however, in this they
were mistaken; there was an objection made by Viscount
Clive, that the proviso to clause 8, in favour of Putt
fisheries, was not sufficiently protective of private rights,
and it was left to his Lordship to prepare a clause in lieu
thereof, which he was to forward to Sir Thomas Win-
nington for insertion in. the Bill in Committee_ This
clause was inserted in the Bill by'Sir Thomas Winning-
ton on its being reprinted, under the impression that
your Committee had sanctioned it; but, to the great sur-
prise of your Committee, on the receipt of the amended
Bill, they found a clause which, instead of being altered
so as sufficiently to protect private rights, would have had
the effect of nullifying, to a very great extent, the prin-
cipal object of the Bill, inasmuch as it proposed to autho-
rise by law all practices by owners or occupiers of exclusive
fisheries that had been in use for the last 20 years, includ-
ing every description of means for taking fish, by dams,
weirs, putts, putcheons, and other constructions and de-
vices; whereas it was a most essential object of the Fisheries
Bill to regulate, alter, and amend those very practices,
as to them the decay of the salmon fisheries of England
and Wales are mainly attributable. It was also partial
and unjust. It created an invidious distinction between
the classes of fishermen, inasmuch as it proposed to pro-
tect the higher class of fishermen, or owners and occu-
piers of fisheries in which stationery machinery is used,
in every improper practice which had obtained the bad
eminence of twenty years' standing, and left the whole-
some provisions of the Act applicable only to the com-
mon fisheries, worked by net fishermen, who are in
general poor men of small means. This distinction
stamped the clause as being manifestly partial in its ap-
plication, and unjust in regard to the poorer class. Sir
Thomas Wennington and your Committee made many
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
Thomas Winnington, consented to the withdrawal of
the Bill.

" From the experience of your Committee in the fate
of the Bilis 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 order 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 a 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 ls.
to Is. 6d., whn at the same time Scotch and Irish fish
have sold for 6d. and Bd. The high price which the
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 from 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."

FIRE ON A RAILWAY.—OH Saturday last, as a
merchandise train was going along the London and North-
Western Railway, a piece of ignited coke escaped from
the engine when near the Wolverton station, and dropped
on the tarpauling covering the truck; from the inflam-
mable nature of the materials the flames rapidly spread
to three other trucks, the contents of which were nearly
destroyed before sufficient assistance could be rendered;
one of the trucks was laden with a valuable cargo of
indigo. It is but justice to state that the London and
North-Western Company have taken every precaution
in their power to guard against such casualties as the
foregoing, by directing the servants in their employ to
throw a quantity of water on the covering of the trucks,
at short intervals; but from the extensive warmth that
has prevailed during the summer, the tarpaulings have
been so heated as to ignite upon coming in contact with
the smallest portion of fire.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT NEAR THE EASTERN COUNTIES
RAILWAY.—On Sunday evening, about six o'clock, an
accident, attended with serious consequences, happened
to a lady and gentleman named Marks, residing at Rod-
ney-terrace West, Mile-end-road, near the Maryland-
point-bridge of the Eastern Counties Railway (Colchester
line), at Stratford. Mr. and Mrs. Marks had been out
for an evening drive, and were returning over the above
bridge, when the engine driver of one of the trains
" blew off his steam;" and the shrillness of the whistle
caused the horse in the chaise to start off at a furious
rate. Mr. Marks did all he could to stop the speed of the
horse, but without doing it, and on getting to the corner
of Well-street, the wheel came in violent contact with
the lamp-post at the corner, and both were thrown out
of it. They were picked up in a state of insensibility,
and carried into the Cart and Horse public-house, where
they were attended by Mr. Vallance, surgeon, Stratford.
They were subsequently enabled to be removed to their
residence in a fly.
THE BISHOPRIC OF MANCHESTER.—The death of
Dr. Carey, Bishop of St. Asaph, gives rise to the con-
solidation of the two sees of St. Asaph and Bangor in one
see, according to the Act of Parliament of 1836, and the
order in council of 1838 ; but needs the consent of the
Bishop of Bangor to carry it into effect, otherwise it must
remain in state quo until the death of that prelate, when
the two sees will become the united see of St. Asaph and
Bangor. As the present net annual revenue of the see
of Bangor is only 4,4641., and the amount of the revenue
of the proposed united see is fixed at 5,2001., we can
hardly suppose that Dr. Bethel, the present Bishop of
Bangor, will decline the offer of the united see, with an
additional revenue of 736/. a year. Assuming that this
prelate accepts the united see, then one consequence of
that act, as we understand the Order in Council, is the
erection of Manchester into a bishopric forthwith.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT.--WC regret to have to record
a serious accident which occurred on Tuesday week. It
appears that Captain Whitmore, paymaster of the pen-
sioners in the Bristol district, and Lieutenant Maclean,
of the recruiting service in this city, were returning from
Wells in a gig, when near Pensfoid the horse took fright,
starting off at a furious rate. Captain Whitmore jumped
out, and succeeded in alighting on his legs, but the
shock was so great that it caused concussion of the brain
and other injuries, from which his life, we regret to
hear, has been in imminent danger. Lieutenant Maclean,
with considerable presence of mind, succeeded in climb-
ing over the splash braid of the gig, and, getting on the
horse's back, pulled it up. Considerable sympathy is
felt for Captain Whitmore, who during his residence at
Clifton has attached to himself much public respect.—
Bristol Mirror.