5o8 SALMON LEGISLA TION IN SCOTLAND. 



the Act, of 10 for each day during which any article used 

 in fishing shall remain unremoved after thirty-six hours 

 from the commencement of the annual close time, with 

 forfeiture of nets, &c. There is no supplementary penalty 

 under this section, of 2 for every fish caught. The 

 anomaly contained in these sections has already somewhat 

 interfered with the due administration of the Act, and it 

 would be very desirable to have the matter put on a clear 

 and intelligible footing as soon as possible. 



SPECIAL COMMISSIONERS' REPORT OF 1871. 



The state of the law under these two Acts (1862 and 

 1868) was not found to be at all satisfactory, and continual 

 agitation was made for its improvement. In deference to 

 this agitation, the Government appointed in 1870 a Com- 

 mission, consisting of Mr. Frank Buckland, one of the 

 English Inspectors of Salmon Fisheries, and Mr. Archibald 

 Young, one of the Commissioners of Scotch Salmon 

 Fishings (now permanent Inspector), to inquire into, and 

 report upon, the effect of the Acts. These Commissioners 

 made a most complete and exhaustive inquiry, and col- 

 lected a large mass of valuable evidence bearing upon the 

 subject and upon all the questions laid before them by 

 the Home Office. They issued their Report in 1871, 

 embodying the results of their inquiry, and making a large 

 number of suggestions for improvement of the law, sup- 

 ported in most cases by the weight of opinion of the parties 

 most concerned and most entitled to speak. The testimony 

 of the different' witnesses, as given in the appendix, is, how- 

 ever, often very conflicting, and personal interest is some- 

 times very apparent ; but doubtless the Commissioners, in 

 coming to the conclusions which they laid before the 



