SALMON LEGISLA TION IN SCOTLAND. 551 



to fixed engines, to be applicable to the Scotch side of the Tim Solway. 

 Solway. The result of this was that the Act of 1804 

 applies to the Scotch shore of the Solway and not to the 

 English, while the English law of fixed engines was 

 attempted to be introduced into Scotland, without effect, 

 however. The Commissioners under the Scotch Act were 

 empowered to fix the limits of the Firth anew, which they 

 did, in accordance with those first above mentioned. They 

 also fixed the close seasons for the Scotch rivers. 



The English Act of 1865 placed the Esk under English 

 law, but the Scotch portions of it remained under the 

 Solway Act. 



Thus there were several contradictory and inconsistent 

 regulations brought into force on the two sides of the 

 Firth. There was one annual close season, and one weekly 

 close season on one side, and another annual and weekly 

 close season on the other. A mesh of net eight inches 

 round was fixed in England, while seven inches was the 

 minimum allowed in Scotland. 



But perhaps the greatest anomaly occurred in connection 

 with fixed engines. It was decided that all the fixed engines 

 on the English side were illegal, and they were therefore 

 abolished. On the other hand, it was found that the fixed 

 engines on the Scotch side could not be interfered with, 

 and the 33rd section of the Scotch Act of 1862, importing 

 the law of England as to fixed engines into Scotland, 

 became inoperative. 



The Scotch Act of 1563 had exempted the Solway from 

 the effect of previous Acts declaring the illegality of fixed 

 engines " where the sea ebbs and flows," and but for this 

 exemption all such engines would have been illegal, as they 

 are in every other estuary. It is only natural that the 

 fishermen on the English side should look upon this as an 



