§ MR. CAIRDsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of the Treasury, whether any progress has been made since February, 1853, in obtaining a decision by the House of Lords of the case of "Gammell against the Crown;" and whether the advantage of the right of salmon fisheries on the whole seacoast of Scotland, therein involved, has for four years been lost to the public revenue by the postponement of the above case?
MR. WILSONsaid, the appeal in the case referred to was heard in the House of Lords in 1853. No decision was yet given, but the House of Lords had recently intimated that they desired that the case should be re-argued, though they had not yet appointed a day for the purpose. Of course it was not within the power of the officers of the Crown to hasten on these proceedings; they must wait until a day was fixed by the Lords to hear the case. As to the question, whether the revenue of the Crown would suffer a loss by this delay, that must depend entirely upon the conclusion at which the House of Lords arrived.