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were no free fisheries, but people were licensed to fish for homo 

 consumption on payment of a sti])ulatecl sum yearly to the 

 contractor. In the Himalayas (p. clvii), it is observed that 

 *' the light of erecting weirs was not, I belicA'e, carried on to 

 tlie same extent in former days as noAV. Tliey were not then 

 so regularly or so generally made, aud Avere not of the same 

 impassible nature as those now erected." " The people 

 living high up one of onr rivers, an afUuent of the Aiek- 

 nunda, eomplained to me that, owing to the number of weirs, 

 they found that vei-y feAV fish can find their way up as far as 

 their villages" (p. clvi). In J\Iysor and Cooig, I was in- 

 formed that under native rule indiscriminate fishing was not 

 permitted : contractors held the fisheries, and those not fisher- 

 men, who wished to capture fish for their own consum[)tion but 

 not for sale, had to pay for such license. It appears to me that, 

 however beneficial our rule may have been in some respects, it 

 is tnosL disastrous to iislieries, and future generations will havo 

 even more reason to complain than those of the present time, it' 

 we do not revert to nativ; precedent, modified by British law, 

 not as proposed in India, but as existing in England. Lastly, 

 I would draw attention to the fact, that even in places where 

 Government permits an 'inlimited license, the native land- 

 owners do not, but raise an income from it. Tims, in Horn- 

 bay (para. 97), it is stated in Wulkihpur and Waiee, which are 

 on the banks of the Mylnse, and are talookdaree villages, tlio 

 Thakoos Avho are pro|)riel-)rs of them receive a third sliare of 

 the fish caught within those limits. In the Central Provin- 

 ces (para. 258), it is observed that in some portions of these 

 provinces the land-owners claim the right to fishing in the 

 rivers and streams running^ through their estates, and receive 

 fees from fishermen resorting to them. It seems to be held 

 by some ofiicials that, as of late years license to fish has been 

 permitted without the exaction of rent, therefore this 

 license may havo obtained the force of right defLMisiide by a 

 civil action by " the exercise of long i)racticc having converted 

 it into communal rights,"— an error in law, as it will lie seen 

 (para. 130) as no length of time can prevent an owner, in 

 which position Government stands, from putting an end to 

 such license. It will be perceived in the resolutions of the 

 ifadras Revenue Board that the fisheries may be thrown 

 open to the public by their oi-ders, and now the right of 

 Government to interfere with this license is questioned, 

 whereas, if it could have been legally permitted, why is it 

 not legally resumable ? 



