§ SIR J. COLOMB (Great Yarmouth)On behalf of the honourable and gallant Member for Cheltenham I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if his attention has been called to the recent poisoning of a portion of the Bandon river, in county Cork, by which poisoning not only all the fish in the river were destroyed, but the lives of the cattle grazing on the banks of the river were also endangered; and whether the Government intend to take any steps to check this not uncommon form of outrage in Ireland, which produces such an injurious effect on sport and agricultural industry in that country?
§ THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND (Mr. GERALD W. BALFOUR,) Leeds, CentralMy attention has been directed to the occurrence referred to in the first paragraph, on which occasion a considerable number of salmon and trout were destroyed. I have no reason to doubt that the lives of cattle along the banks of the river were also endangered by the poisoning of the river. The constabulary hope to be able to bring home the offence to the perpetrators. The offence is, I regret to say, not an uncommon one in Ireland, and I am of opinion that amendments in the fishery laws, for dealing with it, might usefully be made. I cannot, however, give any pledge to deal with the matter in the immediate future.