The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-04 00:00:00

FISHERY PROSECUTIONS.

CONVICTION ON SALMON LEISTERERS.—At Llan-
syllen (Montgomeryshire) Petty Session, on Friday
last, an important case of salmon poaching was
brought before the Bench at the instance of the
Board of Conservators of the River Severn Fishery
District. The following report of the case we copy
from the Tinges of Tuesday last :—The process of
salmon leistering with the aid of torch and spear
has been immortalised by Sir Walter Scott in his
Waverley novels, and this was a modern instance of
the process as conducted in North Wales. Ihe de-
fendant was a farmer, named William Evans, a
tenant of the Dean of St. Asaph, living at a farm
with the unpronounceable name of Llanrhaidr, on
the banks of the river Tanat, which is an important
salmon breeding tributary of the River Severn,
where a large quantity of salmon are annually bred,
or would be bred but for the nefarious practices of
the local residents. Hitherto the farmers have had
it pretty much their own way, and annually at this
season the spawning fish have been killed on the
spawning beds, to the great destruction of the river's
produce. The Severn Board, however, determined
to put a stop to these proceedings, and a strict watch
has been kept on the river. On the night of the
13th ult. three watchers discovered Evans and two
of his farm servants, named William Jones and
Thomas Probert, burning the water at Llanrhaidr,
and hence their appearance before the justices.
They could not deny the fact, and pleaded guilty.
The magistrates were unanimous in their determina-
to carry out the law, and fined the farmer Evans
in the full penalty of £5 and costs, and the other
defendants in 10s. penalty and costs.
HEAVY PENALTIES UNDER THE TWEED FISHERIES
ACT.—At a Justice of Peace Court held at Jed-
burgh on Monday last, Robert Graham, William
Davidson, and Charles Hogg, all belonging to
Hayrick, were charged with a contravention of the
3th section of the Tweed Fisheries Act, or of the
10th section of the act, in so far as they did fish
for or take from the water Allan, by means of
elicks or hooks, thirty-four fish. They all pleaded
guilty of having nineteen fish in their possession,
but not of having thirty-four. Mr. Lee, the Pro-
curator-Fiscal, said he could not accept of that
plea, ar.d he would therefore put it down as of not
guilty. The Fiscal then said that he would hold
them guilty only of a contravention of the Bth sec •
tion of the act, and not of the 10th secton, for, ac-
cording to the statute, the bench could fine them
no more thanlOs. for killing a fish,while they could
be fined £2 for having one in possession. The
bench then sentenced each of them to pay a fine of
£5 for the illegal fishing, and £l7 each for killing
the thirty-four fish, being at the rate of 10s. for
each fish, besides 17s. each of expenses ; and in
default of payment they were to be imprisoned for
two months.

CRIEFF.—Robert Malory was charged with fish-
ing for salmon in the river Earn during the annual
close time; fined £3 10s. and costs.
COCKERMOUTIL—We are glad to find that the
magistrates in this neighbourhood are dealing with
poaching in a manner which is calculated to do
much good. In every case where a conviction is
obtained a heavy penalty is inflicted, and where the
prisoner is not able or willing to pay the fine im-
posed, a two months' imprisonment has been de-