§ Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIENasked the Prime Minister if his attention had been called to the decision of the House of Lords on Friday, 14th July, whereby the fishery of Lough Neagh, which supported 900 families, had been declared to belong exclusively to Lord Shaftesbury and his 793 lessees under a patent of Charles II.; would he ascertain whether at the trial it was conceded that the public had always fished Lough Neagh with nets and lines without hindrance since before the English Conquest, and that a previous attempt to restrain free fishing on the lake had failed by the judgment of the House of Lords in 1876; whether he would circulate as a State Paper its recent judgment, with the evidence and arguments on both sides; whether the Law Lords were divided four to three, and on what lines did this division proceed; would he instruct the Law officers to inquire into the validity of the patent of Charles II. as against the Crown and into the reality of the consideration alleged to Charles II. for making the grant, or introduce legislation analogous to that necessitated by previous decisions of the Lords in the Scottish Free Church and the Taff Vale cases, with a view to enabling the fishermen of Lough Neagh to earn their livelihood as heretofore?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Asquith)As regards the last paragraph of the question, if the validity of the patent were the principal point at issue, the decision of the House of Lords would appear to be final and could not be dealt with except by legislation. I am not prepared in the present state of my information to undertake to introduce legislation.
§ Mr. T. M. HEALYHas the right hon. Gentleman any objection to laying the judgment on the Table?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs soon as the authorsed report is issued it will be circulated.
§ Mr. BOWERMANDoes the right hon. Gentleman propose to give some consideration to the case of the Wye fishermen?