Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-12-09
Gill Nets F! Gill Nets

IHAR!'rS SlMMS.
Gill Nets! Gill Nets /!
To The C;fi=sns IF Washington. Freds.
rick, AMI montgomery ronntics.
A S the General Assembly Of Ma.
n ryland viii sit in the course Of
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 ihosc Who may agree
with me in opiaion. may unite in pc.
titions to the Legislature to pass such
laws rs may cifrctuaIly 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 the most
pernicious effects of this practice. Il
is a fart well known, that maay per.
sons ut 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 lOc miles
to reach the nearest landings, and al.
ter being detained there considera.
bic time, exposed to the inclemencics
of the weather, and often without any
shelter but what was afforded to them
by tile 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 tho Shad they wanted
for their families. These Gill Nets,
it is said, arc fishcd 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. Il
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 the river as to keep
back the Shad altogether, and by
breaking the schools of Herrings will
render even the catching of them I'M
certain. And what adds to our grie,.
ancc, the fish that are caught in this
manner are not disposed of to our CT
tizcns, but arc 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, 10 TO-
reign parts.
The people Of the upper counties
arc peculiarly situated; living remote
from any of the Rivers, with whid
nature has so bountifully watered our
state, they have only an opportunity
aifordcdcd to them once year Of pro.
curing fish of any kind for their FAM.
lies; and it rests with the Legislature
to determine whether they shall be dc.
privcd of this right, attended as it is
too, with great sacrifice, expense and
trouble; and it must be known ton TO
the members that may compose that
body, that fish, from long use and Gus
tom, have become indispensabIy ncces'
sary to our families.
IL any doubt should exist as to the
facts 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
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
recommcnded,-and also to see ard
converse upon the subject with such
persons as they may think proper 10
send as delegates to the next General
Assembly /; and l have also to request
the favor OF the editors Of the Frede'
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
November IA