Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-12-17
CHARLES SfMNc
Gill Nets Gill Nets I

-
rick. and Montgomery counties.
A S thcticnrral Asse ably Of Ma.
N ryIand will sit in the comrsc Of
a few weeks, | take the liberty Of cali.
ing tic attention Of the people, Of the
upper counties 70 the subject of Gill
Nets that all those who may agree
with me in opinion. may mite in nc.
titions to the Legislature to pass such
laws as may efcrtualiy prevent the
use O, them hereafter in the Potomac.
Since the introduction of these Nets
into our waters. the people Of the up.
pcrcountics bavccxperienced the most
pcrnicious effects of this practice. It
is a fact well known, that many per.
sons ut the last season, after leaving
their homes, with their teams, 1t lie
most busy season of the year, and ira.
Yelling, perhaps. from so to Zoe miles
to reach the nearest landings, and at.
ter being detained there considera.
BILE time, exposed to the inclcmencics
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
to return without any fish. Some pro-
rurcd their Hcrrings, but not one in
ten could get the Shad they wanted
for their families. These Gill Nets,
it is said, are iished almost exclusive
~ by persons from the Eastward-a
covetous people they must be they
would take the bread from our mouths
ir 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 number of Nets will form such
an obstruction in the river as to keep
bark the Shad altogether, and by
breaking the schools of Herrings Will
render even the catching of them un-
certain. And what adds to our griey-
ance, the fish that are caught in this
manner are not disposed Of to our CT
tizcns, Tut are cured on board the
vessels that take them, and carried as
all 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 aEy of the Rivers, with which
nature has so bountifully watered our
state. they have only an opportunity
alfordeded to them once year of pro-
curing fish of any kind for their FAM.
lies; and it rests with the Legislature
to determine whether they shall be de-
privcd 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 thai
body, that fish, from long use and GUS
tom, have become indispensably neoes-
sary to our families.
IL any doubt should exist as to the
facts herein stated. have only to OBJ
serve that they will be entirely ro-
moved by referring to any one from
either of the upper counties, who a.
tended at the landings either of the
two last seasons, particularly the last.
Having said much more than ] in
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 ! have
recommended,-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 have also to request
the favor OF the editors of the Frede-
ricktown papers, to give these re-
marks place in their respective pa
pers, that the subject may be fully
brought before the people ofthc upper
counties.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE.
N-In.