SALMON LEGISLATION. 145 



were the legal fishing seasons of the Scotch and semi- 

 Scotch rivers tUl 1863 : — AU rivers north of the Tweed 

 and Solway, from 1st February to 14th September ; the 

 waters flowing into the Solway Firth, from various 

 periods between 1st January and 10th March to about 

 the 2 5th September, with a protraction in favour of rod- 

 fishing for various periods — in the case of the Annan, 

 tiU 1st November; and the Tweed and its tributaries 

 from 15th February to 15th October, with three weeks 

 more for rod-fishing. It should be noticed in passing 

 that, though these were the legal seasons, some of the 

 chief fisheries in Scotland were, by the voluntary 

 act of their owners, closed three or foiir weeks before the 

 period fixed by law, during a considerable number of 

 years before the recent Acts. The chief evil of the Act 

 of 1828 was, that by adding to the length of the net- 

 fishiug season, making the addition at the end of the 

 season, and fixing no extended time for rod-fishing after 

 the removal of the nets, it killed a greater quantity of 

 fish, and did not add to but lessened the inducements 

 for the better protection, by the upper proprietors, of the 

 smaller number of fish that reached the breeding grounds. 

 Hence, a great increase of discontent, and many efforts 

 after legislative redress, as well as a gradual but great 

 decrease in the productiveness of the fisheries generally. 

 Even before the passing of Mr. Home Drummond's 

 Act, attempts had been made to diminish the amount or 

 severity of the fishing; attempts suggested or necessi- 

 tated chiefly by the scarcity produced by the new coast 

 nets having been added to the old river nets. Thus, in 

 1825, a Committee of the House of Commons, presided 



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