§ *MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been drawn to the sentence of three weeks' imprisonment passed by Sheriff Johnstone, of Dingwall, on Norman Macmillan and Donald Macmillan, fishermen, of Stornoway, in consequence of some sea trout having become meshed in 1884 their nets whilst they were fishing for herrings in Stornoway Harbour near the mouth of the River Creed; whether he is aware that previous Sheriffs have always allowed the right of fishermen to set herring nets in any part of the harbour; and whether this sentence will be remitted?
§ SIR G. TREVELYANThe fisher-men in question placed their net obliquely across the mouth of the river. They had 18 sea trout in their boat, and 50 more in the undrawn net, and no herring. The proprietor of the fishing prosecuted. The sentence was not three weeks' imprisonment, but, under the Statute a fine; and, failing payment, three weeks' imprisonment; and at the request of the men 14 days were allowed them to pay the fine. I see no ground for remitting the sentence.
§ *MR. WEIRWill the right hon. Gentleman and his Colleagues facilitate the passage of the Scottish Fisheries Bill to prevent cases of this kind?
§ SIR G. TREVELYANThere are some very important provisions regarding salmon fishing in the high seas which my hon. Friend behind me proposes to introduce into the Bill, but those provisions would not have met this case.