552 SALMON LEGISLA TION IN SCOTLAND. 



The Solway. unfair distinction, and a state of enmity be produced 

 between the fishermen on the two sides, very much 

 analogous to that which existed between their ancestors, 

 and was the cause of the exemption which has given rise to 

 the whole difficulty. 



To quote the report of the Solway Commissioners, dated 

 the 3Oth of November, 1880: "The legislation initiated 

 in 1 86 1 for the regulation of the fisheries had produced 

 four anomalies, which were especially perceptible in that 

 part of the Firth, where it is a narrow channel fordable by 

 the fishermen at low water, (i.) On the English side of 

 the Channel the annual close season commenced on the 

 1st of September, and terminated on the 2nd of February. 

 On the Scotch side it commenced on the 2/th of August, 

 and terminated on the loth of February. (2.) On the 

 English side the weekly close season commenced at noon 

 on Saturday, and continued till 6 A.M. on Monday ; on the 

 Scotch side the weekly close season commenced at 6 P.M. 

 on Saturday, and terminated at 6 A.M. on Monday. (3.) On 

 the English side every net with a mesh of less than two inches 

 from knot to knot was illegal ; on the Scotch side every net 

 with a mesh of less than one and three quarter inches from 

 knot to knot was illegal. (4.) On the Scotch side fixed engines 

 were left standing ; on the English side they were removed." 



Subsequent inquiries have shown the impossibility of 

 abolishing the stake-nets on the Scotch side without com- 

 pensation, and matters now remain in the unsatisfactory 

 state above indicated. 



The limits of the Firth now existing were, as shown in 

 the appendix to the above-mentioned Report, fixed in error, 

 and there was no authority whatever for adhibiting Mr. 

 Leslie's name to the bye-law fixing those limits. A majority 

 of the Commissioners (Messrs. Ffennell and Leslie) fixed, in 



