THE SALMON AND CHANNEL FISHERIES. 201 



regulate the times of the year for taking salmon, 

 and fish of the salmon kind," and there it should 

 have stopped, or have said something more satis- 

 factory and effectual. The act consists of 4,420 

 words, and contains one new clear idea, though it 

 is very doubtful how far even that has a beneficial 

 effect ; and one other idea, whose signification is 

 extremely ambiguous. This will appear in the 

 progress of our examination. 



The power of appointing conservators, as we 

 have already seen, is mere surplusage, unless the 

 legislature extend the power and define the duty 

 of that officer, giving him also protection and re- 

 muneration ; and particularly the power, without 

 warrant, to seize and search suspected characters 

 prowling about by the banks of rivers, or lighting 

 fires known and avowed spearers, in fact and 

 to take them before a magistrate. 



The power here given to the county sessions to 

 fix and regulate the fence days for each particular 

 river, is not only a new but a perfectly clear idea. 

 It will be pronounced by some to be one in the 

 praise of which too much cannot be said, and that 

 it entitles the person from whom it sprung to the 

 gratitude of every lover of good salmon throughout 

 the kingdom ; that it is the essence of good sense 

 and sound policy, since it places the exercise of a 

 discretionary power in the wisdom of the county, 

 the magistrates being gentlemen renowned for their 

 talents, activity, science, learning, independence, 

 and probity ; that without adding to the number of 



