COMMITTEE. (Hansard, 23 June 1891)

*THE BISHOP OF CARLISLE

My Lords, before the House goes into Committee on this Bill, I wish to take the opportunity of asking a question of Her Majesty's Government. Your Lordships will remember, perhaps, that on the Second Reading I raised a short discussion upon a question which is very interesting to me, regarding certain grievances connected with the salmon fishery in Solway Firth; and the result of the observations I then made was that the noble Lord the Secretary for Scotland replied to me, and in doing so he brought out the other side of the question, 1178 as was natural. I thought only of the grievances connected with the English side, because I was not aware that there were grievances on the Scotch side; but the noble Lord stated that there were equally grievances on the Scotch side of the Solway. Of course, two wrongs do not make a right; but, on the other hand, from the remarks then made by the noble Marquess, the importance of the matter became much greater and the necessity of dealing with it much stronger than when I put it merely from the English point of view. I understood the noble Lord to say, at the conclusion of his speech, that he would look into the matter, and, if possible, devise some remedy for the grievances, which he admits as fully as I do. Now, I wish to know whether I may regard the remarks of the noble Marquess as pledging Her Majesty's Government to look into this question, and as a promise to endeavour to devise a remedy. I ask the question with all the more earnestness because the remarks of the noble Marquess, as reported in the daily newspapers, do not seem to me quite so emphatic as I understood them to be; and I should be very glad to know, in the interests of my poor clients, the fishermen on the English bank of the Solway, whether I am to understand his remarks as pledging Her Majesty's Government in the manner I have just now described.

*THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN

My Lords, in answer to the question which has been put to me by the Right Rev. relate, I have to remind him that as far as my recollection goes what I did say was this; That it is my great desire to have an inquiry made into the condition of matters with regard to the fisheries in Solway Firth, but in consequence of the remarks of the Right Rev. Prelate the other day, I have thought it desirable as the question has now extended considerably beyond the Scotch side of the question, as there is great difficulty existing both on the English and. Scotch side, to put myself in communication with the President of the Board of Trade. I have done this with the view, if possible, of obtaining the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry, with the view of bringing about an assimilation of the law on both sides of the Solway Firth. Whether that may 1179 be possible or not I do not know, but I think I said there were great difficulties in the way of doing that. However, I can only repeat the statement which I made the other day that it is my great desire this condition of matters should be brought to an end, and that a Commission should be appointed to inquire into the difficulties existing in regard to these fisheries. I am afraid I cannot go beyond that now, or pledge Her Majesty's Government to the appointment of a Commission. I hope a Commission may be appointed, and that something may be done in the matter, but if not it shall not be from any want of interest on the part of Her Majesty's Government in the condition affecting these fishermen, or from any want of desire to bring the matter to a satisfactory termination.