The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-04 00:00:00

01}

Rebecca Riots in Opposition to the 17ew
Salmon Fishery Laws.

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Some years since the press of this kingdom teemedirith
narrations of the unlawful doings of a body of men vrl
banded together under the title of "Rebecca and hilr
daughters," destroyed the turnpike-gates and levelled th o
toll-housesin certain parts of Breconshire and Radriorshiro.
The cause which led to those riotous and lawless pro-
ceedings has been partially removed,but the same turbulent
spirit now shows itself in armed opposition to the salmon
fishery laws. It is well known to residents in Rai fuer-
shire that in the houses of many persons living wa the
banks of the Wye and its tributaries, the *Khon
and other rivers, a score or two of " kipper," i.e.,
unseasonable salmon dried, take the place of the
honest English labourers' flitch of bacon, these srlmon
being the product of spearing expeditions while sar.mon
are ascending the streams to their spawning grounds,
when engaged in depositing their ova, or of spent fish when
in a state totally unfit for human food.
Great exertions have, up to this time, been made by the
board of conservators of the Wye Fishery to prevent this
wholesale destruction orsalmou by those who live on the
upper part of the river; and very close supervision is being
exercised by bodies of night watchers and water bailiffs.
Rebecca and her Daughters (who really are the Welsh far-
mers, and who have been wont to assert their right to take
salmon how, when, and where they will) have been for some
time seen gathering in large numbers on the Upper Wye
and the Khon, and lighting the streams by flambeaux spear
the salmon in large numbers; but the force of watchers is
so comparatively small that it was not deemed prudent to
attempt a capture of the poachers, who have recently an-
nounced their marauding expeditions by the firing of guns.
The gangs of these poachers had become so formidable
in December that' an increased body of water bailiffs were
put on the Khon ; and, supported by a gentleman of the
neighbourhood and his gamekeepers, at eleven o'clock on
the night of the 22d ult. they came upon a gang of about
twenty poachers, disguised in various ways, armed with
spears, pikes, bludgeons, and other weapons, some of whom
were carrying flambeaux of straw to light the streams and
attract the fish, while the rest pursued their work of
spearing. The water bailiffs concealed themselves in
a wood by the side of the Khon until the poachers went
into the stream, and were at their work, when they showed
a bold front by rushing into the stream. The poachers,
probably fancying the number of water bailiffs to be
greater than they really were, darted out of the stream on
the opposite "side, and clearing some rails, got into the
meadows beyond, where they wheeled round, and form-
ing themselves into line, presented their spars at the
watchers. Samuel Owens, the superintendent bailiff,
asked them what they meant to do, and if they would
deliver up their weapons, upon which they exclaimed,
" Fight !" Hereupon the watchers closed upon them,
and a determined encounter followed, in which a
gamekeeper named Lloyd was seriously injured,
and the poachers and watchers terribly punished, but the
watchers, after a fight which lasted for a quarter of an
hour, proved themselves victorious by capturing four men
and driving the others off the field. During the encounter
one of the poachers, named Edward Hamar, the son of a
large and wealthy farmer, threw the superintendent, and,
keeping him on his back, made an attempt to "gouge"
him, and was only prevented by the timely assistance of a
watcher named Williams.
This encounter and capture served to dispel a belief en-
tertained by many that these salmon poachers were poor,
needy labourers, and has shown that "Rebecca and her
Daughters" are chiefly composed of the largest occupiers of
land in the district ; for two of the persons captured are the
sons of one of the wealthiest farmers thereabouts, and it is
now well known that most of the gang are men well to do.
The four prisoners were broughtupbefore T. P. Severna,
Esq., and E. M. Evans, Esq., at Penybont Petty Ses-
sions, on Dec. 27 and 28. The occasion drew together the
whole population of the district for many miles round, and
the greatest excitement prevailed.
The evidence of the whole of the water bailiffs, and the
gamekeeper (Lloyd), who was nearly scalped by a blow
with a spear, proved the narrative above given.
Mr. Evans, the magistrate, said that on one account he
was not sorry this disturbance had taken place, for it had
served to dispel the delusion that only farm servants were
guilty of these outrages, for it was now clear that some
large and respectable farmers themselves took part in
them. A tenant of his own was charged with salmon
poaching on the previous day and expected to be turned
out of his farm, but he did not think that was the way
to deal with tenants at will, though he should in all pro-
bability get 50 per cent. more rent from another. Their
proper punishment was not a notice to quit their farms, but
the infliction of the specific penalty furnished by the law for
its infraction. After referring at length to the evidence, Mr,
Evans continued : —Looking at all that has transpired, I do
hope that all persons who are owners of property on the
banks of the river will assemble their tenants and come to
a clear understanding with them in reference to this ishing
question. There is no doubt that the inhabitants of
these salmon districts occupy a peculiar position. Most
of those persons 1 see before me have, almost from their
cradles, been in the habit of killing unseasonable salmon.
This habit, until recently, has, if not actually been per-
mitted, 'at• least been connived at. You arc, therefore,
very much in the position of one of your wild Radnorshire
ponies which has, from the hour it was foaled, been allowed
to run restrained over its native hills. After it is well ad-
vanced in years it is suddenly caught, a bridle is put upon
its head, a bit in its mouth, and a saddle on its back.
What is the consequence ? Why, it naturally kicks. Now,
what I want you to understand is this —it is not some
half-dozen or dozen Radnorshire magistrates who saddle
and bridle you ; it is the Legislature which does so. It is
useless for you to feel exasperated towards us. YOU.May,
if you will, kill us. You will find fresh authorities
will rise up and step into our shoes. You cannot kill
the law. I do implore you, therefore, before there is
bloodshed, and bloodshed there will be if things go on as
they have, I implore you all I see before me, especially the
large and respectable farmers, to use your influence among
your children, servants, and dependants, to put down the
present state of things, and do not oblige the magistrates to
subject the ratepayers to the expense and the country to
the disgrace of applying fora large police force to maintain
the supremacy of the law. The prisoners were discharged.
At a meeting of the Fishery Board, on Wednesday, Sir
Yellers Cornewall in the chair, it was resolved to lay the
matter before the Home Secretary.

BANK OF FRANCE.

PARIS, Jan. 3.
The following is the return of the Bank of France
for the week ending to-day, together with the cor-
responding figures of the previous account

DEBTOR.

Jan. 3.

Dec. 27.
c. fr.

Capital of the Bank.... 182,500,000
Profits in addition to
_ .

182,500,001

- -
capital (Art. 8, Law,
June 9, 1857) 7,044,776 62 7,044,776 02
Reserve of the Bank

and its branches
pßes rtTerve in landed pro-
Pe 4,000,000
Notes in circulation ... 1,016,558,625
Banknotes to orderand

22,105,750 14 22,603,730 14

4,000,000
936,969,825

receipts payable at
sight 16,578,406 78 15,618,609 42
Treasury account cur-
rent creditor
Current accounts, Paris 240,039,320 37 259,593,558 98
Do. branch banks 39,844,905 33,496,959
Dividends payable 12,398,251 75 14,556,434 75
Discounts and sundry

1,088,037 12 419,601 76

interests
Rediscounted the last
six months 1,574,256 84 1,574,256 34
Surplus of receipts not
distributed
Sundries

11,919,123 87 7,515,187 96

Total, ' 1... 1,740) 684,765 20 1,715795),587 95
&
—...- — —_. ---
CREDITO
Jan. 3. Dec. 27.
Cash in hand and in fr. c. fr. c.
Branch banks
Commercial bills over-

due
Commercial, bills dis-
counted, not yet duo 336,902,178 57 309,701,718 120 00
Do. branch banks 368,323,362 335,137,
Advances on deposit of

527,209 68

234,536 01

bullion
Do. branch banks
Do. on French Public

33,943,300 - 32,614,600
8,224,400 - • 9,006,900

Securities
Do. by branch banks
Do. on railway shares
and debentures 87,606,200
D. branch banks 26,034,900
Do. on Credit Fonder

14,125,400 - 14,029,100
7,828,700 - 7,689,800

743,600 - 727,000
606,550
613,050 -

87,292,200
25,873,000

Bonds
Do. branches
Do. to the State (Con-
^vention, June 10,
1857)
Government Stock re-

60,000,000

12,980,750 14 12,980,750 14
36,065,237 91 36,063,237 91

serve
Do. disposable
lientes Immobalisdes
(Law, June '2, 1857) 100,000,000 100,000,000
otel and furniture of
the Bunk and landed
property branches
Expenses of manage-
ment
!Sundries

8,304,097 - 8,306,692

Total 1,740,684,765 20 1,715,795,687 95
Certified by the Senator G
(Si overnor of the Bank of Franco.
gned) ItouLAND.

The Christmas dish in Austria is a goose, of
which immense numbers are slaughtered on that
occasion. At Vienna the poultry dealers decorate their
shop windows with those birds dressed up
to represent
in caricature individuals of a momentary notoriety. This
season the majority of geese figure as Marshal Benedek
or General Clam-Gallas. The great success on the
previous occasion was "a French romance-writer de-
livering a scientific lecture," which Alexandre Dumas
was thsu doing in the Austrian capital,