§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been called to a resolution passed by the Ross and Cromarty County Council on the 31st January, 1894, to the effect that, in view of the great destruction caused to the fishings of the Island of Lewis and other parts of the West Coast of Ross-shire by steamers trawling along the Lewis coast, and in its bays and inlets, within the three-mile limit, Her Majesty's Government be asked to station permanently fast steam cruisers in Lewis and on the West Coast of Ross-shire (as on the East Coast of Scotland) in order to protect the fishing grounds from, and prevent further depredations on the part of, these steam trawlers; and, with the view of protecting properly in future the interests of the line fishermen on the West Coast, and preventing the destruction of its fishing and spawning banks, that the Fishery Board of Scotland be asked to issue a bye-law or bye-laws in virtue of their powers under "The Sea Fisheries (Scotland) Amendment Act, 1885," prohibiting beam trawling in the Minch from the waters inside a line drawn from Cape Wrath, in Sutherland-shire, to Butt of Lewis in Ross-shire, on the north, to the waters inside a line drawn from Barra Head, in Inverness-shire, to Ardnamurchan Point, in the Comity of Argyll, on the south; whether the question of providing fast cruisers will be considered in the forthcoming Estimates; and whether ho will instruct the Fishery Board to issue a new bye-law or bye-laws as indicated?
§ SIR G. TREVELYANIn reply to the hon. Member's question, I have already asked the Fishery Board for a Report on the resolution, and the consideration of any bye-laws on the subject referred to must await such Report. As regard cruisers, it is proposed to make provision in the Estimates for 1894–95 for an additional steam cruiser to be 732 placed at the disposal of the Fishery Board.