Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-11-25
CHARLES SIMMS.
Gill Nets 7! Gill Nets !
To the Citizens of Uaskingion. Freds


rick. and Montgomery counties.
A S the General Assembly of Ma.
n ryland will sit in the course Of
few weeks, | take the libGrty of cal.
ing the attention of the people of the
upper counties to the subject Of Gil
Nets; that all those who mag agsca
with me in opinion, may unite in p,-
titions to the Legislature to pass sn,h
laws as may effectually prevent the
use of them hereafter in the Potomac.
Since the introduction of these Nets
into our waters, the people of the Up.
perccunties have experienced the most
pernicious effects of this practice. 1t
is f.ct well known, that many PEI.
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 az
ter being detained there a considera-
bic time, exposed to the inclemencies
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 at last
to return without any fish. Some pro.
cured their Herrings, but not one in
ten could get the Shad they wanted
for their families. These Gill Nets,
il is said, are fshed almost exclusive
ly 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 humber 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'LL.
certain. And what adds to our griey-
ance, the fish that are caught in this
manner are not disposed of to our CT
items, 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 TO-
reign parts.
The people Of the upper counties
are peculiarly situated; living remote
from any of the Rivers, with which
nature has so bountifully watered our
state, they have only an opportunity
affordeded 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-
privcd Of this right, attended as it il
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
tom, have become indispensably neces.
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 l in
tended, l 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 sec aud
converse upon the subject with such
persons as they may think proper to
send as delegates to the next General
Assembly ; and | 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.
pers, that the SUBJECT may be fully
brought before the people of the upper
ONE OF THE PEOPLE,