180 



THE SALMON. 



CHAPTER V. 



FUTURE SALMON LEGISLATION. 

 Scotch Fixed Nets Pollution of Rivers. 



" CLEAR your mind of cant," is an injunction much 

 needed to be addressed to the public and the Legislature 

 regarding the question of fixture-fisheries on the coasts of 

 Scotland. The public mind, which of course the legis- 

 lative mind reflects, has become infected with the idea 

 that these engines are a " property" which it would be 

 robbery to take away ; but the fact, easy of demonstra- 

 tion, is, that the so-called property is in truth stolen 

 goods, or rather the means of stealing goods that had for 

 centuries been the lawful property of others. If that 

 portion of the value of any fishery which is derived from 

 the use of those engines can in any sense be called 

 property, it is a property unjustly or violently carved 

 out of other property a new property sliced off from 

 an old property by instruments which the old property 

 is not allowed to use for its benefit or defence. 



In Scotland all property in salmon-fisheries is consti- 

 tuted by or derived from Crown grants. Now the sum 

 of the whole matter as to fixed nets is condensed in this 

 little fact that the Crown never made a grant of salmon- 

 fisheries with the intention or under the slightest sus- 



