FUTURE SALMON LEGISLATION. 197 



things presently existing, there is the curious contrast 

 to the case of the Solway supplied by the case of the 

 Tweed, the mouth of which river may be regarded as 

 holding, on the east side of the island, the position cor- 

 responding to that which the Solway Firth holds on the 

 west. Whilst on the Solway the new English law as to 

 fixtures is carried across into Scotland, on the Tweed 

 the Scottish law or want of law on the same subject, is 

 carried across into England — certain very destructive 

 fixed engines on the sea-shore of Northumberland, six or 

 seven miles south of the Border river mouth, being pre- 

 served by comprehension in the Tweed Act of 1859, 

 while all such engines farther south have been swept 

 away by the English Act of 1861. Why, in this matter, 

 do justice to Cumberland, and upon Dumfries and Kirk- 

 cudbright, and do injustice to Berwick by giving pri- 

 vilege to Northumberland ? Why knock down those 

 engines in the only place in Scotland where they were 

 of old date, and sanction or protect them where they 

 are innovations ? And why, on the other hand, preserve 

 them at only one place in England, and sweep them 

 away from all other English ground ? There is no 

 answer to these questions, except the temporary and 

 apologetic one, that there is a good time coming. 



The difficulties in the way of obtaining a legislative 

 measure on this subject which will make the laws square 

 with justice and with themselves, consist in the strength 

 of the " interest" concerned, and in the public, and con- 

 sequently the Parliament, _ having laboured under a 

 considerable amount of ignorance and misconception as 

 to the facts and equity of the case. But the enemy's 



