§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Wye Fishery Board has made a by-law for the purpose of increasing their own income and enabling certain private persons to meet their liabilities, whereby tuck nets of 400 yards in length, as well as stop nets, can be used in the Severn estuary, over a small length of which by an historical accident they exercise control, blocking the free passage of salmon up the latter river on the flood tide and thereby seriously threatening the future existence of the important fishing 1643W industry in the estuary, upon which many hundreds of men depend for their living; and whether he will decline to confirm the by-law before it becomes operative?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThe by-law referred to has been submitted to the Board for confirmation and an inquiry has been held to hear objections raised to it. I have not yet received the report of the inquiry and cannot, therefore, make any statement as to the confirmation of the by-law.