ON THE CHANNEL-FISHERIES. 87 



ableness of such fish, or the lawful property or 

 possession thereof, it is hereby declared that all 

 such salmon shall be deemed and considered un- 

 seasonable and unsizeable, unless the person or 

 persons in whose possession such salmon or parts 

 of salmon are found, can prove that he or they 

 came lawfully by the same, and particularly not 

 by spearing. 



And it shall be in like manner also lawful for 

 any conservator to search for and seize all such 

 spears as are calculated for, or used for, the de- 

 struction of Salmon, commonly called Salmon 

 spears ; and any person or persons in whose posses- 

 sion or on whose person such spear shall be found, 

 shall forfeit and pay the sum of ten pounds (whe- 

 ther the manufacturer of such spear or any other) ; 

 it being the practice of such Salmon poachers, in 

 order to avoid suspicion, to carry the spear in their 

 pockets, and to cut down a young tree or sapling 

 for a pole to screw into such spear, as soon as they 

 discover a Salmon. And that it shall be lawful 

 for any conservator to search any suspected cha- 

 racter, prowling about * by the banks of rivers, for 

 such spears and seize the same. And further, that if 

 any person or persons shall be detected during the 

 fence days by the side or bank of any river, or near 

 thereunto, or in the neighbourhood thereof by night, 



* It is impossible to detect the night poachers without such 



a power, and unless this night work is put an end to, neither 



this act nor any other will effect that public good which it 



otherwise might. 



G 4 



