46 



CHAPTER VI. 



MANAGEMENT UNDER THE BOARD OF WORKS. 



THE system of the management of the Irish Fisheries, after its 

 committal to the Board of Public Works, as " Commissioners 

 for the execution of the Act," is to be learned from their public 

 reports. 



In an inquiry of this nature the object of which is to further 

 improvement it will occur that those points which are open 

 to objection are those to be brought into view ; nor can the 

 absence of noticing other circumstances be held an omission : 

 whatever credit is justly due to the Commissioners if not 

 offered, is not wrongly withheld, and the ensuing remarks are 

 made less in a spirit of animadversion than of inquiry. 



In the first report, presented to the Lord Lieutenant in April, 

 1843, it is stated that progress was not so rapid as could have 

 been desired, * partly because the principles of the measure 

 being very essentially new in Ireland, they required much 

 information to be procured, and much consideration before the 

 mode of applying them could be decided upon ; partly, because 

 mistaken or very imperfect views of the bearing of the Act were 

 taken by many;' and because of the number of matters 

 requiring to be regulated at the commencement of such a 

 measure. 



The principle of the Act being of * non-interference by 

 Government/ is then adverted to as that adopted the provi- 

 sions being made as ' definite as possible, to the effect that the 

 public in general might have the power of causing it to be 

 enforced, the intervention of the Commissioners being only 

 admitted as an authority for deciding matters that are of a 

 nature varying according to localities or circumstances, and that 

 consequently could not be defined in the Act.' The great pres- 

 sure of references to them, (such numerous appeals proving the 

 number of cases conceived by the community to require atten- 

 tion,) on those points calling for the Board's decision, is then 

 considered as attributable to the early stage of their control ; 

 but it was expected, if the Commissioners can ' come to right 

 conclusions,'* to make such permanent arrangements, as, after 

 the first two or three years, would reduce the business to a few 

 matters, calling for occasional consideration only. 



" This," (it is observed,) "it may be presumed, was the ground 

 for confiding the charge to an existing department having other 

 duties, instead of organizing a new Board for the purpose, as 



* An acknowledgment of the difficulties of the subject encountered, requiring 

 practical knowledge to adjust. 



