now become a source of profit and of commercial 

 speculation. It is not leas generally known, that in 

 the course of the many questions at law that took 

 place, it was fully established that all yairs, dain- 

 dykes, &c. were illegal, and that although it was 

 for some time thought, that stake-nets, being nets, 

 might not be found included among the prohibited 

 modes of fishing, yet these too have now received 

 a full and final condemnation. It would naturally 

 seem to follow, that to prevent any future disputes, 

 a sort of river police should be created, to take 

 charge of the Fisheries in each separate river, and 

 to prevent those encroachments which have been 

 hitherto allowed to exist ; and, in short, to see the 

 law as it has been completely established, re- 

 gularly enforced. Such a Bill has accordingly 

 made its appearance, to regulate the Tay Fishings, 

 and as it would necessarily lead to an effectual pro- 

 hibition of all illegal methods of fishing, those 

 who are interested in the stake-nets are very natu- 

 rally alarmed ; and as a last attempt at maintaining 

 them, it is now submitted to the Legislature, that 

 the old Acts of Parliament are founded in igno- 

 rance, and that all the law regarding the Salmon 

 Fishery should be altered. With this view, a 

 Pamphlet has been put forward, called Obser- 

 vations regarding the Salmon Fishery of Scot- 

 land ; and as it contains the chief part of all 

 that can be said in justification of the claims 

 of the stake-net fishers, I shall take the liberty, 



