§ MR. CONOLLYsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for War, Whether he has given authority to the Officer commanding Royal Engineers to set up claims to Fisheries in Ireland in regard to Lands held for Military purposes where no such right existed; and whether he has authorized that Officer or any Department to let such Fisheries by public competition without previously establishing such right by Law? As the representative of a maritime county, in which the great bulk of the population were interested in the Fisheries, it was his duty to bring this matter before the attention of the House of Commons. The right hon. Gentleman, had ventured to give orders to the officer commanding the Engineers in Ireland to let these Fisheries, but he had better ascertain his right to do so. For his own part he could not see what on earth the War Department had to do with Fisheries at all, and was quite satisfied that they had no business with the particular Fisheries which the right hon. Gentleman was now taking away from their lawful possessors. The right hon. Gentleman was absolutely there in the guise of a poacher [A Laugh.] It was not a laughing matter at all, for the rights of fishermen had been grossly violated for upwards of 200 miles. Those who had hitherto enjoyed the free right of fishing were now to be deprived of it unless they would pay a rent for it.
§ MR. S. HERBERTsaid, that with regard to the first question of the gallant Officer respecting forage caps and trousers, it was of so minute a description that he ought to have applied for an answer to the office of the Adjutant-General, where he was sure he would have obtained all the information he wanted. He believed that the officers applied to be allowed to use forage caps without peaks, as they were considered to be more convenient on a march, and would go into their holsters. With regard to the trousers, he believed the explanation was that by giving the cavalry but one kind of overall they could do with two pair instead of four. That, I hope, solves that mystery. With regard to the other question, he had made inquiry on the subject, and found that no such regulation as that referred to had been promulgated; but any regulation that might be made by Her Majesty for the reception of the society whom she honoured by receiving at her Court ought not to be 693 made matter of discussion in that House. With respect to the question respecting Fisheries, he bad to observe that the War Department possessed considerable landed estates in different parts, some of them near the seashore; and, as the country was put to heavy expense for the support of the Military establishment, it was his duty to see that it had the advantage to which it was entitled from the possession of lands. He had only continued the same instructions which had been given at former periods. He had no doubt about his right to do so, as it was founded on an Act of Parliament, but if the hon. Gentleman doubted the right, it was for a court of law, and not for that House, to decide the point.