98 THE FISHERIES. 



unsizeable salmon, or salmon-peal, under the weight 

 of five pounds. 



Lastly. — An adequate and stringent administra- 

 tion of the existing or amended law. Unless a speedy 

 provision for this purpose be made, the rights of the 

 public will be continually invaded, and the public 

 fishery be gradually appropriated by private persons, 

 until, at length, encroachment and usurpation will 

 become prescriptive right. 



These are the practical measures we would sug- 

 gest to modify the injurious operation of these fixed 

 engines upon the fisheries at large. We confess, 

 however, we should much rather see a Government 

 willing and strong enough, to assert the public right 

 by a vigorous enactment, and sweep away for ever 

 from our rivers and harbours those pernicious fix- 

 tures, at least all those erected under colour of the 

 Act of 1842. This, we conceive, might be done by 

 a mere declaratory law, as these novel engines are 

 almost all illegal, under the terms and provisions of 

 the Act itself, whicli saves and excepts the rights of 

 navigation, and the right oi the public fishery . 



It would be well here to direct attention to the 

 manner in which the new code of fishery laws has 

 been carried into execution. It is a saying, that 

 Englishmen forget all their good, sterling common 

 sense, when they come to deal with Ireland. In 

 1842, all the Irish Fishery Acts, from the 5th of 

 Edward IV. to the 1st of Victoria, were repealed, 

 and the Government then confided to the Board of 



