6 



Appendices to Fifteenth Annual Report 



marked tish. It is satisfactory to learn from Mr Weddeispoon, Commis- 

 sioner to the Duke of Richmond, that the men now show much greater 

 aptitude in carrying out the work, and that the statistics regarding the 

 weight and length of the fish which are marked are now recorded with the 

 strictest accuracy. 



Bye-law with ^ nave drawn attention in the foregoing remarks to the non-observance 

 respect to of the bye-law made by the Commissioners with regard to the construction 

 Milf Dams. 11 ° f a USe °^ ^arus or l aa "es, or water wheels. The provisions of this 

 i ams. bye-law are habitually infringed in many mills, not only in Ayrshire and 

 Wigtownshire, but in other parts of Scotland. In many cases ignorance 

 is pleaded as an excuse ; I have thought it, therefore, worth while to 

 print the bye-law, with a view of dispelling, to some extent, this ignorance, 

 and of calling attention to some of the most frequent ways in which its 

 provisions are contravened. 



SCHEDULE (G). 



Bye-law. 



25th and 26th Vict. cap. 97. 

 26th and 27th Vict. cap. 50. 

 27th and 28th Vict. cap. 118. 



"Acts to regulate and amend the Law respecting the Salmon Fisheries 

 ' of Scotland." 



We, the Commissioners appointed under the said Acts, and empowered 

 thereby " to make general regulations with respect to the construction 

 ' and alteration of mill dams or lades, or water wheels, so as to afford a 

 ' reasonable means for the passage of salmon," do hereby make the 

 following general regulations with respect to the construction and use of 

 mill dams or lades, or water wheels : — 



1. Every new dam, and every portion of any dam that may require 

 to be renewed or repaired after this time, shall be made and main- 

 tained water-tight, or as nearly so as possible, so that no water that 

 can reasonably be prevented, shall run through the dam ; but all 

 water not taken into the lade for the use of the mills or other lawful 

 purpose shall be made to flow over the dam as fully as may be 

 practicable. 



2. There shall be a sluioe or sluices at the intake of every mill 

 lade. No water shall, with the exception herein-after stated, be 

 allowed to enter any mill lade beyond the quantity required for the 

 use of the water wheel or wheels of any one fall on that lade, or for 

 other lawful purpose in the lade ; that is to say, no water shall be 

 allowed to escape from any lade into the river by means of any bye- 

 wash or overflow, but all water not required for the uses aforesaid 

 shall be made to flow over the dam into the river as far as may be 

 practicable. 



At the option of the millers or manufacturers, this provision may 

 be carried out either by shutting the sluice or sluices at the intake 

 of the lade, or by raising the banks of the lade to a height that will 

 prevent an overflow of water from the lade when the sluice at the 

 wheel and the bye-wash sluice herein-after mentioned are both kept 

 shut. Provided always, that the said bye-law shall not apply to 

 millers or manufacturers when taking measures necessary for the 

 protection of their premises during heavy floods, or when rivers are 



