8 



4 July, 1860. 

 Report of 

 Committee of 

 the House of 

 Lords on 

 Salmon 

 Fishings, 

 (Scotland.) 



7 Feb., 1861. 

 Report of the 

 Commission 

 on the 

 Salmon 

 Fisheries. 

 (England 

 and Wales.) 



In 1860, among other recommendations, a Committee 

 of the House of Lords recommended (page 12) — 



" That penalties to be recovered by summary process 

 " be imposed for allowing any refuse matters from any 

 " mill or manufactory to go into any river ;" and 



" That a bill be introduced by Her Majesty's Govern- 

 " ment in conformity with the above recommendations." 



In 1861 the Commissioners on Salmon Fisheries re- 

 ported (pages 19—21) that— 



*' The most striking case of contamination of waters by 

 " the efflux from mines was in the Ystwith and llheidol 

 " at Aberystwith." 



" These two streams both contained salmon in some 

 " abundance thirty years ago. Since the working of the 

 " Goginan lead mines, a total eztmctiofi of a?iimal life has 

 " taken place in the Rheidol. The Ystictth has been 

 " similarly affected by other lead works." " The most 

 " distinct evidence was given us of the destruction of 

 ** salmon from this cause. It was even stated that the 

 *' sea-fishery to the extent of some miles out had been 

 *' much deteriorated from the same cause." 



" No other case of destruction so complete was brought 

 " under our notice ; but there were others of the noxious 

 *' effect of mine waters, in more or less degree, which, if 

 " continued, must ultimately prove fatal to the fish. 

 " Among these we may mention the Tawe, Neath, Rhym- 

 " ney, Towey, Taff, the South Tyne, &c." 



" In Cormcall the salmon fisheries may be said to be 

 " virtually destroyed by the mines." 



August 1861. 

 Second 

 Report of 

 the Commis- 

 sioners on 

 the Sewage 

 of Towns. 



And in the same year (1861) the Commissioners on the 

 sewage of towns in a further report, pages 4 to 9, give 

 a frightful picture, (drawn from their own personal in- 

 spection) of the pollution of the rivers Irwell, Irk, Roch, 

 Croat, Tonye, Tame,* Mersey, Bollin, and Medlock, saying 



* In the evidence of Robt. Rawlinson, Esq. (formerly one of the 

 Commissioners on the Sewage of Towns, and also one of the late 

 Commissioners on the Pollution of Rivers), before the House of Com- 

 mons' Committee of 1864, on the sewage question, he says : — 



" That, before the Tame reaches Birmingham, it receives above 



