Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-11-14
John III. Ladd s. Co.
Gill Nets Gill Nets I
To TIE Ciiizcns Of UasbiasioR. Fred

~ GsC CHt-'bS " " HSHt"St"h' E'tte-
rich, and Montgomery COagties.
A S the General Assembly of Ma
N ryland will sit in the course, #
few weeks. take the liberty of call
ing the attention OF the people of the
upper counties TO the subject of Gill
Nets that all those who may agree
with NE in oPiAion. may unite in pc
titious to the Legislature to pass such
laws as may eifcctually prevent the
use of them hereafter in the Potomac.
Since the introduction of these Nets
into our waters, the people of the up
percnuuties have experienced the most
pcFnicious effects Of this practice. 1t
is fact well known, that many per-
suns at the last season, after leaving
their homes. with their teams, at the
most busy season of the year, and ira
yelling, perhaps, lrsm So to Zoe miles
to reach the rearcst landings. and af,
ter hring detained there cunsidcra-
bic time, exposed To the iBclemencies
of the weather. aud often without any
shelter bat What was IF rieI to them
by the coverings Of their Wagons,
while their crops tao were suffering
greatly at home, were obliged at last
t. return without any Gsh. Some pro-
cured theiT HerIings. but not eiIc 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 aStward-a
Coyctous people they must be they
would take tlIr bread from our Mouths
If they could do tan they certainly
will the fish If lcst to themselves. II
is stated they had 500 vessels cnSaScd
in this business daring the last season;
such u humber If Nets will form Suvh
an obstruction in the ri,er as to keep
bark the Shad altogether, and by
breaking the sChouls of llcrrings Will
render evrn the cate hing oi them un-
certain. And what aids to eur Sriev-
anCe. the fish that are caught in this
manner are mt disposed OF % our CT
tizens, but are cured on buard the
vessels that take them, AMI carried as
an article uf traffic to some other pnr-
tions 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 50 bountiCully watered our
state. they have oHiy an opportunity
aiFordedcd 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-
priscd Of this right, attended as it is
too, With great sacrifice. expense and
trouble and it mus be known too to
the members thai nav compose that
body. that fish, from long use and GUS
tom, ha, C becOms indisprnsably ncceS-
sary to our families.
&c any doubt should exist as 20 the
facts herein stated. ! have only To OBJ
serve that they will be entirely re-
moved by referring H. any one from
either of the upper counties, who at
tended at the landings either Of the
Two last sraScns, particularly the last.
Having said much MORE than | i'll
tca,lcd, | have only {. call upon all
those who feel an interest in this bu-
siucss. to lose no time in getting sig
natures to such petitiun as have
rec0mmeudrd,--and also to see and
converse upon the subject with such
rersoas as they may think proper TO
send as delegates to the next General
Assembly 4; AMI have also to request
tho favor OF the editors of the Frrde-
riCktOwH papers, TO give these re-
marks a place in their respective pa
pers, that the subject may be fully
brought before the people of the upper
counties.
ONE or THE PEOPLE.
As the people oS Aane- Arundle co.
particularly on Elk, Ridge. feel equal
" interested on the subject Of Gill
Nets it is respectfully requested that
the editors Of the Annapolis papers
viii give publicity to these remarks.