Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-11-17
nARLES SIMMS.
Gill Nets Gill Nets
To The Citizens Of WashilstOn, Fyedr

10 TIE Citizens ~ VdShr!StOH' ffede-
rick, and Montgomery counties.
A S the General Assembly of Ma
n ryland will sit in the course Of
a few weeks. | take the liberty of call
ing the attention Of the people Of the
upp, r counties to the subject Of Gill
Nets that all those who may agree
with me in opinion, may unite in Pc
titions to the Legislature to pass such
laws as may c!fcctualIy prevent the
use of them hereafter in the Potomac.
Since the introduction of these Nets
into our waters. the people Of the up
rcrcoumtics have experienced the most
prrnicious effects of this practice. 1t
is a fact well knowh, 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 l0c miles
TO reach the nearest landings, and af-
ter being detained there a considera-
bic time, exposed to the incIemencies
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-
cured their Herrings, but not one in
ten could get the Shad they wanted
for their families. These Gill Nets,
il is said, are fishcd almost exclusive
ly by persons from the Eastward--a
covctous people they must DO they
wonld 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 ri, er as to keep
bark the Shad altogether, and by
breaking the schools of HrrrinSs will
render even the catching OF them I'M
certain. And what adds 10 our grier-
ancc, the fish that are caught in this
manner arc not disposed of to our CT
! tiZcns, but arc cured on board the
vessels that lake them, and carried as
ali 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 tic Rivers, with which
nature has so beautifully watcrcd our
state, they have only an opportunity
| alfnrdedcd to them once a 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-
prived of this right, attended as it is
too, with great atrilice, 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 indispcnsaJly neces-
sary to our families.
/ IL any doubt should exist as to the
facts herein stated. have only to oh
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 m
tended. l have only to call upon al!
those who feel an interest in this bu-
sincss, to lose no time in getting sig.
natures to such a petition as have
recommends, and also to see ard
converse upon the subject with sucl!
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 Frcde-
ricktown papers. TO give these re-
marks a place in their respective pa
pcrs, that the subject may be fully
brought before the people Of the upper
counties.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE.