§ SIR GEORGE PECHELLsaid, he wished to remind the right hon. President of the Board of Trade, that in 1843 an Act was passed to carry out a convention which had been entered into for the regulation of the oyster fisheries in the Channel, whereby arrangements were established which it was thought would be satisfactory to both countries. He (Sir G. Pechell), in asking a question at the time, was assured that those regulations would not in any way interfere with the fishing in Mid-Channel. Now, however, he was informed that the French Government had made communications with a view to prevent such fishing. He wished, therefore, to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether any instructions had been issued to the Commissioners of Customs (in consequence of any representation from the French Government), directing the commanders of revenue cruisers to prevent vessels taking oysters in the English Channel beyond the limits exclusively reserved to the fishermen of this country?
§ MR. HENLEYsaid, that in consequence of the convention that was entered into some years ago between Her Majesty and the late King of the French relative to the Channel fisheries, an Act of Parliament was passed for the purpose of carrying that Convention into effect; and, among other provisions of that Act, there was one forbidding within certain months—from the 1st of May to the 1st of September, any fishing-boat in the Channel having any dredges or other fishing implements on board. Representations had been made to Her Majesty's Government, by the Government of France, to the effect that they were about to carry that treaty out, and wishing this Government to do the same. Representations had likewise been made to them by various bodies of fishermen in this country, some of whom wished the Act to be strictly carried out, and others of whom wished it to be relaxed. The fishermen of Dovor and on the coast of 1049 Essex were in favour of relaxation, while the fishermen on the coast of Kent were in favour of the Act being strictly put in force. Under these circumstances, Her Majesty's Government felt that they had no choice but to have the law, while it remained in force, executed fairly. There was no power under that law to prevent oysters from being landed and sold, but there was a power preventing boats from having dredges on board, and that, he supposed, was introduced to deter from poaching.
§ SIR GEORGE PECHELLwished to know whether the right hon. Gentleman would lay the correspondence with the French Government, and the orders sent to the Commissioners of Customs, upon the table?
§ MR. HENLEYwould make inquiries upon the subject, but he did not apprehend there would be any objection to his doing so.
§ SIR GEORGE CLERKasked, if the right hon. Gentleman would also lay before the House the memorials he had received from the fishermen on different parts of the coast, because it was a question which materially affected the means of subsistence of many hardworking and industrious families; and if it were intended to alter the law, it was right the House should become acquainted with the claims of those parties.
§ MR. HENLEYhad no objection whatever to the production of some of them. Generally, he might say, the memorials prayed that the Act should be enforced.
§ Subject dropped.