[BILL 240.] COMMITTEE. (Hansard, 15 August 1882)

§ GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOUR
said, he desired to move the following Amendment, providing for the duties of the Fishery Board in detail:— That the Fishery Board shall have the following powers, for developing and extending the Scotch sea and fresh water fisheries generally, including herring, white fish, salmon, trout, and other species of fish; to inquire, to institute inquiries, to report, on the state of all harbours already aided, or to be aided, with public money, and on all harbours generally, as to their financial condition, their fitness or otherwise for fishery purposes, and their needed improvements; likewise as to the boats employed in sea fishing, their suitableness or otherwise for the ocean work, and specially for deep sea and distant fishing; as to the best modes, seasons, and conditions for fishing for different kinds of fish; as to the parts of the ocean and coasts where fish abound, and as to the conditions which regulate or guide the movements of fish; as to providing increased facilities for the transport and rapid distribution of all kinds of fish, to the many markets, throughout the Kingdom; as to the control to be exercised over, and in, the use of steam-tugs, of trawling vessels, and their employment, and over their uses and abuses; as to the grounds to be provided on the coast for hauling up boats, for drying and exposing nets and lines; as to the provision or supplies of bait, and the facilities for laying down beds of mussels; as to the regulation and checks in the use of the measure known as the 'cran,' fixed for measuring out of fish; as to the extension of the telegraphic and postal communication, so essential for conveying information along the coasts, both as respects the shoals of fish, state of the weather, temperature of the seas; as to the use of storm warnings to the creeks, as well as to harbours; as to the dues, taxes, rents, tithes, &c. levied on fishing places, for the dwellings of fishermen, on grounds used for fishing purposes, and on the beaches between high and low water mark; as to regulating, selecting, and salting suitable herrings, packing and filling barrels, ensuring uniformity in the standards at the several ports; as to generally providing for improving the pre- 1858 sent practice of branding and passing the barrels of herrings, and for guarding against abuses; and that, in order to provide for further legislation likely to be needed, Provisional Orders may be applied for; also that copies of general instructions which may from time to time be issued by a Secretary of State for the performance of the general duties of the Fishery Board shall be laid before Parliament within three weeks after meeting, and the annual Report of this Board shall be promptly laid before Parliament, furnishing full and useful information on the duties above detailed, and, further, on all other branches of the fishing business, such as the police of the seas for the protection of British fishermen against the increasing numbers and aggressions of the Foreign fishermen; as to the state of the markets in connection with the Home fishing interests, in Foreign Countries as to the measures in progress for effecting reduction in the import dues, and securing facilities for the fish trade abroad; all these being included in the business of a new Fishery Board.

THE CHAIRMAN
asked where the hon. and gallant Gentleman intended to put the Amendment?

§ GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOUR
said, he desired to put it after Clause 7.

THE CHAIRMAN
The hon. and gallant Member has placed what he calls an Amendment on the Paper without mentioning where it is to be introduced. It can, consequently, neither be moved as an Amendment, nor as a separate clause. It is not an Amendment; but it is an account of what the Fishery Board ought to do, and what their duties ought to include. It might be the subject of a new Bill, or even the subject of this Bill, if the Government had taken all these subjects into its consideration. I do not see that it can be moved as an Amendment, nor as a clause, nor even as a new clause.

§ GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOUR
submitted that other Acts of Parliament were full of instructions.

THE CHAIRMAN
The Amendment of the hon. and gallant Member might be worked into a Bill in separate clauses; but in the form in which it is here it is quite irregular and out of Order, and the hon. and gallant Member cannot move it.

§ GENERAL SIR GEORGE BALFOUR
said, they were creating a special Fishery Board, at great expense, and they had abstained from giving to the Board those full instructions connected with their duties which were necessary for the public convenience and interests. It was a lamentable thing that this Bill should be pushed through the House, at this last Sitting, without its containing some of those detailed orders so essential for their guidance in the performance of the work connected with the growing important fisheries of Scotland. He regretted the Lord Advocate should have associated himself with a Bill of this kind, for, when passed, all efforts to amend it would be unavailing.