164 THE SALMON. 



what the Tweed Bills accomplished wholly or partially as 

 to the Tweed, and also by what they unsuccessfully pro- 

 posed, they gave the cue and the example to the other 

 fishery districts, not only of Scotland, but of England 

 and Ireland ; and it was afterwards found that the 

 evidence by which they were supported had not only 

 exposed the causes and suggested the remedies of the 

 prevailing evils, but had imbued the Legislature both 

 with knowledge and with grace. 



The district that first followed, and then, in one or 

 two points, bettered the example of the Tweed, was the 

 Tay, the proprietors of which, with something veiy near 

 unanimity, asked and got in 1858 a local Act, virtually 

 taking the Tay fisheries out of Home Drummond's Act, 

 and cutting ofi' three weeks from the end of their season 

 (making close-time begin on 26th August instead of 

 15th September), at the same time giving the rod-fishers 

 to the 30th September, or five weeks' grace. For some 

 years previous to this Act, as we have formerly had 

 occasion to mention, a majority of the Tay proprietors 

 had acted voluntarily on the rule of closing on the 26 th 

 of August, with the efiect of raising their rental from 

 the low point to which it had sunk under Home Drum- 

 mond's Act ; but the new Bill had been rendered neces- 

 sary by a few of the proprietors having refused to concur 

 in the voluntary arrangement, and insisted on continuing 

 to work their fisheries after their neighbours had closed. 

 One eff"ect of the shortening of the season under the new 

 Act was a further increase of rental, which has now 

 reached a higher amount than ever before. And it may 

 as well be noted here as elsewhere, that not only have 



