8? 



Tte late Robert Cliriatie, so many years the Member 

 for Gaspe, and by whom I have been urged to do battle 

 in behalf of the salmon fisheries, has often told me, that 

 while he resided there he never took less than 2000 

 tierces in the Restigouohe alone i to use his own 

 ejcpressive words : — " They are richer than the dia» 

 mond mines of the East " He has left evidence of his 

 opinions in the Parliamentary and other reports. Bou- 

 chette, in speaking of the same river, says " 2000 to 3000 

 tierces are taken ;" and he adds, " which is a considerable 

 diminution upon the produce of former years, attributable 

 to the deficiency of proper regulations ; restricting the 

 time of fishing to certain seasons, and otherwise regulat^' 

 ing the mode of taking the salmon." Alas t if it were 

 necessary so long since, to change the mode of procedure 

 in taking the fish, what must be required at this period ; 

 since year after year the vile practices have increased. 

 What would that talented gentleman say could he know 

 that the 2000 or 3000 of his day, had dwindled down to 

 200 or 300 at the present time ? He also, with Mr. 

 Christie, has left his protest on record. They were men 

 to whom the Province owes a deep debt of gratitude ; and 

 their opinions are worthy of being well received and 

 attended to. Again, I find recorded in a very interesting 

 work lately published the following notice of this section 

 of the country : — " But as the Eestigouche is a famous 

 river for fishing, a considerable revenue is derived from 

 this business. The fish are taken in set nets (which should 

 be done away with) and at every ebb-tide during the 

 summer, are conveyed to the shore in canoes, salted, and 

 shipped to Great Britain, or, as has of late years been the 



