FISHERIES (IRELAND) BILL. (Hansard, 15 March 1854)

§ SIR JOHN YOUNG
said, he did not understand what course was proposed to be taken in respect to this Bill. He, however, felt called upon to observe that he thought it was a most objectionable measure. It would interfere with a great number of private as well as public interests. He had looked through the Bill, and he considered that it was impossible to find out any definite or intelligible object which it had in view. There was the greatest possible alarm and anxiety created throughout Ireland in regard to this measure.

§ MR. SPEAKER
said, he must remind the right hon. Gentleman that there was no Motion before the House.

§ MR. I. BUTT
said, that he would then 845 move that the Bill be read a second time that day six months. Several of his own constituents, who had an interest in the Irish Fisheries, and who would be seriously affected by this Bill, had written to him strongly in regard to its provisions. He did not think that it was at all fair to those who were interested in the subject to keep a Bill of this kind hanging over that House by perpetual postponements.

§ SIR JOHN YOUNG
said, he believed that the hon. and learned Gentleman who had prepared the Bill was now on circuit (Mr. M'Mahon); and, perhaps, under ordinary circumstances, there would, therefore, be some reason for postponing it. He should be sorry to fail in courtesy to the hon. and learned Gentleman, but the measure was in itself so objectionable, and had been for so long a time before the House, that he thought that the question should be at once disposed of. Last year the hon. and learned Gentleman had had two Bills of a similar character to the present before the House, but had ultimately withdrawn them. The hon. Gentleman whose name was second on the Bill (Mr. Duffy) was in the House a short time before; and he (Sir J. Young) wanted to know whether there was any serious intention on the part of the promoters of the measure to proceed with it? On the part of the public he was prepared to give it his decided opposition. The measure purported to repeal six Acts of Parliament relating to the fisheries of Ireland, and to substitute for them a great many old and nearly obsolete Acts, beginning at the reign of Henry VII.

§ MR. NAPIER
said, that this measure was an example of the too great facility that was given to introducing Bills into Parliament. He believed that this Bill originated from the circumstance of certain parties having discovered a particular mode of catching fish, and being desirous of getting repealed all those laws that interfered with them. Although the law in relation to the Irish Fisheries was not in a very satisfactory state, and might be advantageously in many respects altered, he yet thought that the proposed Bill would do considerable injury to the country.