49 



" We believe that this appeal to the lower orders failed of its effect; and 

 that his Lordship, as Lord-Lieutenant of the county, has since been so ill 

 advised as actually to direct the police to interfere in behalf and on the part 

 of the poachers, a's will appear by the following note: 



" 'July 25, 1840. 



" ' SIR, You will much oblige me by protecting my fishermen in doing 

 their duty in removing the nets of the Society, and protecting my rights. 



" ' Your obedient humble Servant, 



" DONEGAL.' 

 " ' To the Chief of Police.' 



" These circumstances led to the appeal to the Lord-Lieutenant. With 

 one other fact of which we are informed, we shall close this most unpleasant 

 part of our duty. At a place called Shroove, there is a small gang of 

 poachers under the charge of a servant of Sir Arthur Chichester, and they 

 now state that the net is the property of Sir Arthur. This is a claim of the 

 newest kind, for the property was sold by the trustees of Lord Donegal 

 about ten years ago ; and in the particulars of sale there is no mention what- 

 ever made of any right of fishing. 



" While in Dublin, we had an interview with the Under-Secretary, Mr. 

 Norman MacDonald, at the Castle, on the subject of the aggressions of the 

 poachers on the Lough Foyle Fisheries as previously adverted to ; first, as 

 to the non-enforcement of the conviction against M'Candless, the Rev. Mr. 

 Staples' servant; secondly, as to the conduct of Mr. Staples and others of 

 the magistracy at Moville ; thirdly, as to the conduct of the Lord-Lieutenant 

 of Donegal, in writing a letter to the chief of the constabulary in that 

 county, with directions to employ the police force for the protection of the 

 poachers ; full particulars of which had been furnished to the government 

 from time to time by the Society. After considerable discussion had taken 

 place, he assured us that an inquiry should be made into the several subject 

 matters of complaint which the government regretted should ever have 

 occurred." 



In looking over the Reports of Committees of the House 

 of Commons on Salmon Fisheries, it will be seen from the 

 evidence of the late George Little, Esq., "the salmon from 

 the rivers Bann, Foyle, and Moy, would be worth at least from 

 5,0007. to 6,0007. per annum, and in some years from 8,0007. 

 to 9,0007. The sale of salmon caught in them in 1835, 

 amounted in Liverpool to 9,0007. ; in Manchester to 5,0007. ; 

 in London, pickled, to 4007. ; in Glasgow to 5507. ; in Dublin 

 to 3007. ; in Bristol to 4007. ; and in the neighbourhood of the 

 rivers to 1,8007. ; in all to 17,4507. The annual produce of 

 the Foyle, for the nine years prior to 1836, was 53,603 salmon, 



D 





