§ SIR WILLIAM WEDDERBURNI beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether he will explain why nearly £5,000 per annum, on account of the salaries of the permanent establishment belonging to the Scottish Fisheries Department, is charged upon fees paid by the fishing industry; whether a similar charge is imposed on account of salaries of permanent officials in other public Departments; and whether this charge will for the future be remitted?
§ *THE LORD ADVOCATEThe total amount of brand fees collected between 1858 and 30th December 1880 was £123,700, while the estimated cost of collecting these was fixed by the Treasury at £89,700, leaving a surplus of £34,000. This sum was lodged in Exchequer, and was not revoted to the Fishery Board for harbour and other purposes, as has been the practice since 1880.
§ MR. J. G. WEIR (ROSS and Cromarty)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate, as representing the Secretary for Scotland, seeing that in the Fifteenth Annual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland it is stated that a further representation has been made to the Russian, Austrian, and United States Governments on the subject of reducing the high import duties on cured herrings, will he state on what date those Governments were respectively approached, by whom, and with what result?
§ *THE LORD ADVOCATERepresentations were made in the end of last, year and in the beginning of this, through the usual diplomatic channels, but no response has as yet been received.