1 Sn THE SALMON. 



CHAPTER V. 



FUTURE SALMON LEGISLATION. 



Scotch Fixed Nets — Pollution of TJivers. 



" Clear your mind of cant," is an injunction much 

 needed to be addressed to the pubHc and the Legislature 

 regarding the question of fixture-fisheries on the coasts of 

 Scotland. The public mind, which of course the legis- 

 lative mind reflects, has become infected with the idea 

 that these engines are a "property" which it would be 

 robbery to take away ; but the fact, easy of demonstra- 

 tion, is, that the so-called property is in truth stolen 

 goods, or rather the means of stealing goods that had for 

 centuries been the lawful -property of others. If that 

 portion of the value of any fishery which is derived from 

 the use of those engines can in any sense be called 

 property, it is a pi'operty unjustly or violently carved 

 out of other property — a new property sliced off from 

 an old property by instruments which the old property 

 is not allowed to use for its benefit or defence. 



In Scotland all property in salmon-fisheries is consti- 

 tuted by or derived from Crown grants. Now the sum 

 of the whole matter as to fixed nets is condensed in this 

 little fact— that the Crown never made a grant of salmon- 

 fisheries with the intention or under the slightest sus- 



