SALMON LEG IS LA TION IN SCOTLAND. 549 



fishermen should not be granted a license to possess nets The Tweed, 

 for use in white fishery, so as to exempt them from the 

 stringent provisions of section 51 of 1857 against the 

 possession of nets, &c., which might be used in contraven- 

 tion of the Act. 



Section 76 of the 1857 Act declares the Fresh Water 

 Fisheries Act of 1845 to apply to the whole of the river. 

 The Fresh Water Fisheries Amendment Act of 1860 

 should also be made to apply to the whole of the river, as 

 at present it only applies to the part in Scotland. Licenses 

 for rods might also be introduced on the Tweed, and the 

 Special Commissioners suggested 1 for the river below 

 Walkerburn, and los. above. The licensing system might, 

 however, be carried still further, and would afford a means 

 of relieving the proprietors of some portion at least of the 

 heavy assessment with which they are burdened. 



There are several other points of less general importance 

 which might advantageously be adopted in the Tweed 

 legislation. For most of these, and for very valuable 

 information on the whole subject of the fisheries in the 

 district, reference is made to the Report already alluded to, 

 by the Special Commissioners of 1875. We do not, how- 

 ever, altogether agree with some of the recommendations 

 in the Report, which seem to be of doubtful expediency, 

 but refrain from discussing them. 



In conclusion, it is a matter for great regret that one 

 result of the opposition which the recent Fishery Board 

 Act met with in Parliament from certain parties was the 

 exclusion of the River Tweed from the application of the 

 Act, so that the river is denied the chance of sharing in the 

 immense benefit which may confidently be expected to 

 accrue from the appointment of an Inspector of Salmon 

 Fisheries for Scotland. 



