68 



The author will here take the liberty of 

 introducing a curious circumstance falling 

 within his own knowledge, a few years ago, 

 at a petty sessions of some neighbouring ma- 

 gistrates. 



An information * had been laid by a person 

 in the neighbourhood of the Thames, against 

 some respectable tradesmen for fishing with 

 nets, " in the water of the private fishery f 

 the property of A. B. in the River Thames, 

 for the purpose of stealing, taking, and killing- 

 fish out of the said private fishery, without -the 

 consent of the said A. B. the Lord or owner 

 thereof." 



The defendants on being summoned attend- 

 ed, and by their solicitor urged many of the 

 arguments here enumerated. After hearing 

 which, the defendants and their solicitor were 



* This information is a curious document and a unique of its 

 kind. It purports to be the information of A. B. and states 

 that " he has been informed, and believes, and doubts not but 

 that he shall be able to prove" the parties guilty of the offence. 

 Thus it is an information on an information. 



t There is no such thing as & private fishery in a river, recog- 

 nized by the law : there are only a several fishery, &free fish- 

 cry, and a common, of fishery. 



