Glasgow Courier. — 1862-03-13 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

THE EXPORT TRADE IN FOUL SALMON. A Custom-house return, with some remarks appended by Sir Thomas Freemantle,Chairman of the Board, throws light upon the extent of that export trade in foul fish which has become one of the chief destructive agents at work upon the river fisheries of the United Kingdom. The declared value of British salmon exported in the year 1861 was £23,536, of which £16,951 went from London, £4112 from Folkeston, £2321 from Liverpool, and the small remainder from three other ports. The return also shows the value exported in each month of __. . . .  ii;;;;;:ranTereiti lies its chief value. The year may, as to salmon, be divided into seven months, during which the fisheries are legally in operation and the fish in good condition, and five months during which fishing is illegal, the fish unwholesome, and their capture destructive of the breed. It appears that, measured by value, just about as much salmon is exported during the five illegal as during the seven legal months.; and as the value of foul fish, as compared with clean, is seldom more than a fifth, we come pretty near to ascertaining that something like four-fifths of the export of salmon consist of fish taken in the breeding season, and in the most unwholesome condition,besides being stolen from the fishery-owners, and in violation of laws designed to preserve from extinction a valuable article of food. The fact that the export trade is in the main a trade in stolen and unwholesome commodities, is seen more clearly when we look at the different months. Every month in the close. time shows a larger export than any month (the grilse month of August excepted) during the legal and natural season. In Nov. and Dec. no fishery is legally open; but in these two months the value of the exports—the value, as we have said, than but partially representing the quantities—is respectively £2277 and £1962. Then comes February, when the salmon captured by the regular fishers are in the finest condition and of the highest value, and the exports drop at once from £2OOO to £721! The remedy for this is obvious. The sale of salmon is prohibited during the period in which the fisheries are legally closed— prohibit the export also during that period. Sir Thomas Freeniantie, Chairman of the Board of Customs, makes the suggestion—"lt would appear necessary that the law should be amended so 1111 to prohibit the exportation of salmon at such seasons, and to impose a penalty for the act of exportation, and for bringing salmon to any wharf or quay for the purpose of shipment, together with the forfeiture of the fish." The proposal is obviously as just in principle as easy in execution.  _ According to the latest advices from Toronto, Mr Alexander Macdonald, one of the oldest Chancery barristers in that city, had committed suicide. The last accounts from California state that an extraordinary emigration to the goldfields of British Columbia is expected to take place this spring. One steamer had just sailed from San Francisco with 500 passengers for that destination. The Times' Paris correspondent states that a plan, suggested by the Emperor, for establishing a communication between Algeria and Senegal, by means of caravans, is about to be carried into execution. A joint-stock company is being organised for the perpire. It is expected that French commerce will gain considerably by penetrating into the Soudan, and thus establish a regular traffic between Algiers and St Louis, Senegal.  PLEA FOR  puffs