§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he has received a resolution from the Limerick Fishery Board complaining that the difficulties of preservation are greatly increased owing to the remission by the executive of fines inflicted for offences against the Fishery Laws, and intimating that the Board must decline to attempt to enforce the law if this policy by the executive is persisted in; and if he can state what the facts are, and if there are any grounds for the complaint?
MR. J. MORLEYThe resolution referred to was received by me, and a letter has been communicated to the Board of Conservators in reply, stating that the Lord Lieutenant is always anxious to see that the law is adequately administered, but that he cannot divest himself of the responsibility of fully considering all cases in which appeals are made to him. No particular case was mentioned in the Resolution, and I may point out that, upon the receipt of a somewhat similar protest from the Board of Conservators in February, 1892, a letter in terms similar to that just quoted by me was communicated to the Conservators by direction of the then Lord Lieutenant acting on the advice of his Lord Chancellor. I may add that it appears from a Return which has been furnished to me, that in 43 cases memorials have been received by the present Government, praying for a mitigation of penalties imposed by Magistrates for offences against the Fishery Laws in the Limerick district, and that in some 17 of these cases, reductions of penalties were 1219 recommended by the Board of Conservators.