Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-12-18
CHARLES SIMSiS.
Gill Nets Gill Nets /!
To the Ciii-sns of Was}iugton. Fred

rich. ami montgomery counties.
A S the General Assembly of Ma
n rylaMh will sit i'm the course of
a few weeks, l take the liberty of cali.
ing the at'cnti,Si Of the people Of the
upper counties To the subject OF Gill
Nets; tia: all these who may agree
with me in opigion, may unite in pc.
titions to the Legislator" to pass such
laws as may effrctually prevent tlm
use Of them hereafter in the Potomac.
Since the introduction of these Nets
i,l;o our waters, the people OF the up.
pcrcouEties have experienced the most
pernicious effects Of this practice. 1t
is n fact we'll known, that many per.
sons at the last season. after leaving
their homes, with their teams, at the
most busy season of the year, and ira.
Yelling. perhaps. from so to lOc miles
to reach the nearest landings, and al
ter being detained there considera.
bic time, exposed to the inclemencies
of the weather, and often without any
shelter but what was afforded to them
by the coverings of their Wagons,
while their crops too were suffering
greatly at home, were obliged at last
n return without any fish. Some pro-
cured their Hcrrinss, but not one in
ten could get the Shad they wanted
for their families. These Gill Nets,
it is said, are fished almost exclusive
" by persons from the Eastward-a
covetous people they must be they
would take the bread from our mouths
if they could do it-and they certainly
will the fish if left to themselves. 1t
is stated they had 500 vessels engaged
in this business during the last season;
such humber Of Nets will form such
an obstruction in the river as to keep
back the Shad altogether, and by
breaking the schools of Herrings will
render even the catching Of them I'M
certain. And what adds to our griey-
ancc, the fish that arc caught in this
manner are not disposed of to our CT
tizens, but are cured on board the
vessels that take them, and carried as
an article of traffic to some other por-
tons of the Union, or, perhaps, to TO-
reign parts.
The people of the upper counties
are peculiarly situated; living remote
from any of tie Rivers, with which
nature has so bountifulIy watcred our
state, they have only an opportunity
affordcded to them once year Of pro-
curing fish of any kind for their fami.
lies; and it rests with the Legislature
to determine whether they shall be de-
priyed of this right, attended as it is
too, with great sacrifice, expense and
trouble; and it must be known too to
the members that may compose that
body, that fish, from long use and GUS
tom, have become indispcnsably neces-
sary to our families.
If any doubt should exist as to the
facts herein stated, ! have only to OBJ
serve THAT they will be entirely re-
moved by referring to any one from
either of the upper counties, who at
tended at the landings either of the
two last seasons, particularly the last.
Having said much more than ] III
tended, have only to call upon all
those who. feel an interest in this bu-
siness, to lose no time in getting sig
natures to such a petition as l have
recomlnendcd,-and also to see and
converse upon the subject with such
persons as they may think proper to
send as delegates to the next General
Assembly and l have also to request
the favor OF the editors of the Frede-
ricktown papers, to give these re-
marks a place in their respective pa
pers, that the subject may be fully
brought before the people ofthe upper
counties.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE.
Noypmhpp ID