Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-12-11
CHARLES SIMMS.
Gill Nets Gill Nets
To the CitiScns Of Washington. Fred.

10 the CltlScnS ~ Vn@inSf0n. Frede-
rick, and Montgomery counties.
A s the General Assembly Of Ma
n ryIand will sit in the course of
few weeks, | take The liberty of call
ing the attention of the people of the
upper counties to the satjcct 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 effsctualIy prevent the
use of them hereafter in the Potomac.
Since the introduction Of these Nets
into our waters, the people of the up.
percountics have experienced tho most
pernicious effects of this practice. 1t
is 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 l0c miles
to reach the nearest landings, and af-
ter being detained there a considera.
bic time, exposed to the inclemcncies
of tue weather, and often without any
shelter but what was afforded to item
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 ono in
ten could get the Shad they wanted
for their families. These Gill Nets,
it is said, are fishcd 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 a number of Nets will form such
an obstruction in tie river as to keep
back the Shad altogether, and by
breaking the schools of Herrings will
render even the catching Of them un-
certain. And what adds to our gricv-
ance, the fish that arc caught in this
manner arc not disposed of to our CT
tizcns, 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 70.
reign parts.
The people Of the upper counties
are peculiarly situated; living remote
from any OF the Rivers, with which
nature has so bountifally vatered our
state, they have only an opportunity
aGordcded 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 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
:om, have become indispcnsably neces-
,ary to our families.
If any doubt should exist as to the
acts 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
ended at the landings either of the
wo last seasons, particularly the last.
Having said much more than ] in
ended, l'havc only to call upon all
hose who feel an interest in this b.
'iness, to lose no time in getting sig.
natures to such a petition as have
'ecommcnded,-and also to see and
upon the subject with such
'crsons as they may think proper to
end as delegates to the next General
Assembly and have also to request
he favor Of the editors Of the Fredc-
icktown papers, to give these re.
marks place in their respective pa.
'crs, that the subject may be fully
rought before the people Of the upper
ONE Of THE PEOPLE.