536 SALMON LEG IS LA TION IN SCO TLAND. 



competent (for three months) for night poaching by three or 

 more persons, under the twenty-seventh section of the Act 

 of 1862. This section provides, also, that failure to pay 

 the fine shall be punished by imprisonment not exceeding 

 three months, while the next section gives power to im- 

 prison for a period not exceeding six months, in default of 

 payment of all penalties and expenses incurred under the 

 Act, which, of course, includes the penalty under the 

 previous section. The two sections are plainly inconsistent 

 with each other on this point, and if the former rules as to 

 the penalty for night poaching, it follows that if the fines 

 for all minor offences be not paid, the offender can be 

 imprisoned for six months ; but a night poacher can only 

 be imprisoned for three months in the same circumstances. 

 A supplementary penalty for each fish caught by night- 

 poachers should also be added, as in other cases of illegal 

 fishing. 



LICENCES. 



The system of licences, which has already worked so 

 well both in England and Ireland, can only receive a 

 passing reference. The licences in Ireland vary from 1 

 to .30, the minimum licence for rods having been raised 

 in all districts in 1870 from ios. to i. In England they 

 run as low as 2s. or 3^. for rods, and 1 for fifty "putchers," 

 to ,20. In the latter country the total amount of licence- 

 duty raised in the forty four districts in 1879 was 7176 is.\ 

 in 1880, 7934 7s. 6d. ; and in 1881, 741 1 19* sd From 

 this it may be seen what might be done in Scotland were 

 this system adopted. The system of assessment is not 

 satisfactory, and it is hopeless to expect subscriptions or 

 loans to purchase the remqval of cruives and obstructions. 



