Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-12-12
CHARLES STNMS.
Gill Nets ! Gill, Nets /!
To The Citizens If Washington. Fred.

rick, and montgomery counties.
A S the General Assembly of Ma.
n ryland 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 subject 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 effectuai!y pr,vcnt the
use of them hereafter in the Potomac.
Since the introduction of these Net,
into orr waters, the people of the up.
percounties have experienced the most
pernicious effects Of this practice. 1t
is fact well known, that many per.
sous 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 Toe miles
to reach the nearest landings, and at.
ter being detained there considera-
bic time, exposed to the incIemenries
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 Heprings, but not ono in
ten could get the Shad they wanted
for their families. These Gill Nets,
it is said, arc iished almost exclusive.
ly by persons from the Eastward-a
cove!ous people they must be They
would take the bread from our mouths
if they could do it-and they certainly
will the fish il left to themselves. 1t
is stated they had 500 vessels engaged
in this business during the last season;
such humber of Nets will form such
an obstruction in the river as to keep
back the Shad altogether, aud by
breaking the schools of Herrings will
render even the catching Of them I'M
certain. And what adds to our gritv.
ance, the fish that are caught in this
manner are not disposed of to our ci
tiZens, but are cured on board the
vessels that take them, and carried as
an article of traffic to somc other por.
tons Of the Union, or, perhaps, 10 70.
reign parts.
The people Of the upper counties
are peculiarly situated; living remote
from airy of tic Rivers, with which
nature has so bountifully watered our
state, they have only an opportunity
afurdeded to them once a year Of pro.
curing fish of any kind for their fami.
lies ; and il rests with the Legislature
to determine whether they shall be de.
pri,cd 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
tom, have become indispcnsabIy neces.
sary to our families.
If 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 tho
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-
,incss, to lose no time in getting sig.
natures TO such a petition as | have
rerommendcd,-and also 20 see and
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
Inc favor OF the editors Of the Frede.
Iicktown 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 OF THE PEOPLE.