Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-12-22
Gill Nets /! Gill Nets |
IN ths Ciiizyns Of Udsbisgfcu IRE,

rick, and .lAUfggmery counties.
4 S The General Assembly Of Ma.
n ryIand will sit in the course Of
a few weeks, take the liberty Of call
ing the attention Of the people of tLc
upper counties TO the subject of GIN
Nets :. that all those who may agrtc
with inc in opishn. may unite in pc.
ti.ions to the Legislature to pass srrl,
laws as may c!i;ctuaIly prevent The
use Of them hereafter in the Potomac.
Since the Introduction of these Nas
into our waters, the people of The Up.
rcrcountics have experienced the most
nrrnicious effects of this practice. ID
is fact well known, that many per.
sons at the last season. after leaving
their homes, with their teams, at tie
most busy season of the year. and tra1
yelling, perhaps. from so to l0c miles
to reach the nearest landings. and al
ter being detained there considera-
bic time, exposed to the inclemcncis]
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 alas
to return without any fish. Some pro-
cured their Hrrrings. but not one IN
ten could gct the Shad they warted
for their families. These Gill Nets
it is said, arc iished almost exclusive
ly by persons from the Eastward-d
cuvrtnus people they must be they
would take the bread from our mot his
if they could do it-and they certainly 1
will the fish ir left to themselves. ID
is stated they had 500 vessels engaged
in this business during the last season.
such a number of Nets will form sScl
an obstruction in the river as to KEEP
hack the Shad altogether, and BY
breaking the schools of llcrrinss WI
render even the catching OF them M |
certain. And what adds to our grley-
ancc, the fish that arc caught in tihs|
manner are not disposed of to our CT
tiZens. but are cured on board tho
vessels that take them, and carried as
an article of traffic to some other por1
tions of the Union, or, perhaps, to lo1
reign parts.
The people Of the upper counties
arc peculiarly situated; living remotd
from airy Of tic Rivers, with whl"'
nature has so bountifulIy watcred out
state. they have only an opportunity
afTordeded to them once a year oil pro-
curing fish of any kind for their fami'
lies and it rests with the Legislature
TO determine whether they shall be de-
prired of this right, attended as it !;
too, with great sacrifice, expense and
trouble; and it must be known too 70
the members that may compose thai
body, that fish, from long use and Gus
tom, have become indispcnsably neces
sary to our families.
ifany doubt should exist as to TIN
facts herein stated, | have only to ob
serve that they will be entirely re-
moved by referring to any one Iron
either Of the upper counties, WIN at
tended at the landings either of TIT
two last seasons, particularly the last
Having said much more than 10
tended, | 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 J ha''
recommendcd,-and also to see All,
converse upon the subject with suel
persons as they may think proper Il
send as delegates to the next Genera
Assembly and 1 have also to requess
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 inIl.
brought. before the people oil the uppe
counties c
ONE OF THE PEOPLE
No,arbar II