362 APPENDIX 



was more particularly interested in the Waveney, and who, through 

 the assistance of Mr Josiah Poyser and others, raised a substantial 

 fund for the purpose of including that river and district within the 

 Act. 



In June 1875 a meeting was held at the Guildhall, Norwich, 

 for the purpose of conferring with Mr Frank Buckland, the Com- 

 missioner inquiring into the fisheries of the Norfolk coast. Mr 

 Buckland expressed sympathy with the object of the meeting and 

 promised his assistance. On November 1st of the same year a 

 further meeting was held at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, for the 

 purpose of receiving Mr Buck land's report, and on February 5th, 

 1876, a deputation from the YARE PRESERVATION SOCIETY (the new 

 name for the old Norfolk and Norwich Anglers' Society) and 

 riparian owners visited the Home Secretary for furthering the 

 objects they had in view. 



In January 1877 successful meetings were held at the Town 

 Hall, Great Yarmouth, and in February of the same year at the 

 Guildhall, Norwich, whilst a public subscription list was opened at 

 Messrs Gurney's Bank and a petition was got up, to which many 

 thousands appended their signatures. Thus by degrees the small 

 and ever-energetic committee of enthusiastic anglers gradually 

 worked upon public feeling until it culminated in March of the 

 same year at a meeting at the Royal Hotel, when support was 

 promised from most influential quarters in both counties, and 

 the Bill became looked upon as a certainty, whilst the greatest en- 

 thusiasm was manifested. 



On the 12th July 1877 the Norfolk and Suffolk Fisheries Act 

 was placed upon the statute books, and at the annual dinner of 

 the Yare Preservation Society Mr J. J. Colman, M.P., President, 

 remarked that " had the Bill been introduced as a political measure 

 it would never have become law, but because it was supported by 

 members on both sides of the House opposition was disarmed and 

 the Bill was now operative." 



Under this Act a Board of Conservators was appointed by the 

 Magistrates of Norfolk, Suffolk, Norwich, King's Lynn and Sud- 

 bury, who met at periodical intervals and framed the excellent 

 bye-laws which are set out hereafter. Meanwhile the Yare Pre- 

 servation Society, which worked hand-in-hand with the various 

 angling clubs of the district, continued to do good work acting as 

 a kind of watch-dog to the Conservators and reporting to them 

 from time to time anything which they thought would further the 

 preservation of fishing and improve angling generally on the 

 waterways. 



The first general meeting of the Board of Conservators was held 

 at the Shirehall, Norwich, on the 10th October 1877, at which it 

 was reported that the following gentlemen had been appointed 

 under the Act as follows : 



