4 THE FISHERIES. 



liament by the then Government, and speedily passed 

 into a law, without much notice or consideration, and 

 without that calm and careful examination which so 

 intricate a measure manifestly required. A very dif- 

 ferent course has been pursued on the present occa-: 

 sion : after much previous discussion of the subject 

 in print and at public meetings, Mr. ConoUy pro- 

 duced his Bill in the House of Commons on the 2nd 

 of June last, when it passed the first reading : it has 

 been printed by order of the House, and has been 

 circulated very generally throughout Ireland, with 

 a view to a full consideration of its provisions pre- 

 vious to next Session : this bespeaks a fair and ho- 

 nourable course, and shows withal confidence in a 

 good cause. The country is thus, as it were, invited 

 to examine, and offer objections to a measure, which 

 is beheved, by the promoters of it, to be sound in 

 principle, and calculated to restore the Salmon-fish- 

 eries to their former prosperous condition. 



Had this course been adopted with reference to 

 the Fishery Act of 1842, the country would not 

 have had to deplore the prostration and ruin cf 

 those fisheries : the errors contained in that mea- 

 sure were so palpable, that had sufficient time been 

 given, they would have exploded spontaneously. 

 The examination of a few of these errors will be 

 ancillary to our present purpose. 



First. It was maintained, (and the enactments 

 quickly followed,) that by extending the means of 

 capturing salmon, an increased aggregate supply 

 would be obtained. 



