MR. PATRICK O'BRIENI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—(1) whether he is aware that Mr. Mark Bradley, of Kells Grange, Thomastown, county Kilkenny, has been repeatedly summoned to Stony-ford Petty Sessions by the Fishery Conservators for not having the gates of his mill raised on certain working days, and that the cases were dismissed by a full bench of magistrates; (2) whether he is aware that Mr. Bradley works his mill under the same conditions as to the opening of sluice gates and waterway that it has been worked for 40 years without interference hitherto by the Fishery Conservators; and (3) whether, considering that Mr. Bradley cannot open the gates as required by the Fishery Conservators without completely stopping his mill during the six working days of the week, and as he is willing to 1243 keep them open on Saturdays and Sundays, he will see that no further prosecutions are instituted against him?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI am informed that Mr. Bradley has been summoned on several occasions by the Fishery Conservators for not having his mill sluices raised during the hours prescribed by Statute. On two occasions the cases were dismissed, but on the third occasion Mr. Bradley was convicted of the offence. I have no information regarding what is alleged in the second paragraph. As to the third paragraph, the Crown has no power to interfere with prosecutions of this description, but the Clerk to the Board of Conservators states that unless he considers that the sluices can be raised without injury to the water-power he will not institute proceedings against Bradley.
§ MR. P. FFRENCH (Wexford, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whether he is aware that Kilmore fishermen are compelled by the County Wexford Grand Jury to pay harbour dues; whether the Grand Jury is vested with compulsory powers in this direction; and whether there is any other place in the three Kingdoms where fishermen are compelled to pay harbour dues?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURI am informed that the Kilmore fishermen are required to pay harbour dues by the Grand Jury of County Wexford under the powers conferred upon the Grand Jury by the 7th Section of 16th and 17th Vic. cap. 136. There are other places in Ireland, such as Kinsale, Baltimore and Bingle, where the payment of harbour dues by fishermen is also enforced.