Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-12-24
Gill Nets! Gill Nets |

~ "o CHt-oH" y I" ".HidS'DH' rfQt.
rick. and Montgomery rountiss.
A Sthe General Assembly Of Ma.
n ryland will sit in,the course Of
a few weeks, l take the liberty Of rall.
ing the attention Of the people of the
upper counties to the subject Of Gill
Nets /; that all tlinse who may agree
with me in opinion. may unite in PC.
titions to the Legislature to pass such
laws as may effectualIy prevent the
use Of them hereafter in the Potomac.
Since the introduction of these Nets
into our waters, the people of the up.
percomties have experienced the most
pcrnicious effects of this practice. Il
is afact well known, that many per.
sons at the last season, after leaving
their homes, with their teams, at The
most busy season ofthe year, and ira
yelling, perhaps. from so to lOc miles
to reach the nearest landings, and al.
ter being detained there considera.
bic time, exposed to the inclemencies
of the weather, and often without any
shelter but what was afforded to them
by tho coverings of their Wagons,
while their crops too were suffering
greatly at home, were obliged at last
to return withoutany, fish 6ouse pro-
cured thcit Herrings. but not one in
ten could get the Shad they wanted
for their families. These Gill Nets,
it is said, arc fshcd almost exclusive
ly by persons from the Eastward-a
covctous 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
III 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 gries-
ance, the fish that are caught in this
manner are not disposed Of to our CT
tizcus. but are cured on board the
vessels that take them, and carried as
An article of traffic t. some other por-
tions of the Union, Or, perhaps, to 10.
reign parts.
The people Of the upper counties
are peculiarly situated; living remote
from any Of tie Rivers, with which
nature has so bountifulIy watered our
state, they have only an opportunity
afIort!cded TO them once a year OF pro-
curing fish of any kind for their tami'
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 70
the members that may compose that
body, that fish, from long use and Gus
tom, have become indispcnsably neccs-
sary to our families.
IL any doubt should exist as to the
facts herein stated, have only to oo-
serve that they will be entirely re-
moved by referring to airy one from
either Of the upper counties, VII" at
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-
sincss, to lose no time in getting sig
natures to such a petition as | have
recommended, -and also to see anu
upon tic subject with such
persons as they may think proper 10
send as delegates to the next Generai
/; and have also to request
the favor OF tie editors of the Frrde'
ricktown papers, to give these re-
marks a place in their respective pa
Iers, that the subject may be iuIly
brought before the people Of the upper
ONE OF THE PEOPLE
November IA