LAWS RELATIVE TO PISHING. 103 



As an advocate for angling, I feel interested and anxious 

 for the honour and credit of the angler's character and 

 conduct, therefore I beg his attention to a few observations 

 and extracts from acts of parliament relative to the pre- 

 servation of fish and fisheries. It should be recollected, 

 that if the angler commits an offence or trespass from his 

 ignorance of the laws on the subject, he is equally liable 

 to fine and punishment as if acting by premiditated design; 

 for it is presumed by the magistrates of courts, that from 

 the known publicity of the laws, every person is acquaint- 

 ed with their regulations in respect to the protection of 

 property, punishment for trespass, and the like. More- 

 over, as reasonable beings, and accountable for our 

 misdeeds, it surely behoves us so to regulate our conduct 

 in pursuing our pleasures and amusemeuts, that we in 

 nowise lose sight of or infringe the Golden Rule, that of 

 "doing unto others as we would they should do unto us," 

 a strict observance of which I seriously recommend 

 to all brother anglers. 



The most recent, and the principal act to protect fish- 

 eries, was passed in the fifth year of his present Majesty's 

 reign, from which the following extract is taken : 



