202 STATUTE LAWS RELATING TO 



useless, contradictory, and incomprehensible sta- 

 tutes, it completely supersedes the necessity of any 

 local act whatever, and justifies the compression 

 of the whole subject into one enactment ; and that, 

 as there are different opinions as to the times when 

 salmon are in season, and ought to be caught, in 

 particular rivers, such magistrates, in their legis- 

 lative capacity, would have the power, by hearing 

 evidence, to regulate this point to the satisfaction 

 of every one, if that be possible ; at least to the 

 satisfaction of themselves. I once thought this all 

 very right, but, on more mature consideration, I 

 think it extremely problematical, and am of opi- 

 nion that it will be more for the advantage of the 

 fisheries, that the legislature should at once put the 

 rivers in defence for the w T hole 150 days, which in- 

 clude the six winter months. Whether the salmon 

 of different rivers are in season at different times 

 of the year is another question, and has been fully 

 discussed already. The number of days, too, that 

 they may put the rivers in defence, being 150, 

 nearly half a year, exactly corresponds with my 

 idea, that salmon should only be taken in or about 

 the six or seven summer months, being prohibited 

 the three last and the three first in the year. Of 

 this, more is said at that part of the subject in 

 which we have considered of the time when rivers 

 ought to be put in defence. 



The third section of the act professes to contain 

 the main objects for which it was passed ; namely, 

 that salmon should not be injured by hot lime, or 



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