The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-05-29

sHau anu heiings as IL uoed To Out tbs Ia rot al all
surprising 10 those who are acquainted with the ma
ture OF fishing and believe that there is a con-
siderable number OF the Legislatures, sc. of Virginia
aud Maryland that live in the western counties of
those States, and of course, cannot be we'll ac-
quainied with the nature Of fishing as We who live
Immediately on the waters, we have IL in contempla-
ton 10 tell them something about the nature of fish
ing The business of shad and herring into any of
our fresh water rseis Is TO spawn they cannot do
so In salt water and If they do the salt water imme-
dia'ely destroys their spawn. Now, their spawns
deposited ON rocks, gravel, chunks, brush logs
grass or any other thing lying the bottom of the
river Snd If they remain IN the place position they
are dropped m 1t believed that each shad or herring
Will yield not less ihaa two thousand but If they BIO
moved out Of their place, they dead much as
stalk OF corn would be If pulled up and laid upon ls
hill, or an egg in the act of becoming fowl, ii
10 be rolled out OF ils warm nest by the claw OF owl
into bank Of snow. Now, there laws in
the States of Virginia and Mary land TO prohibit gill
fishing, and we believe that the Legislatures have
made them innocently, not knowing the above
lure, we will tell you of them, hoping that you will
not forget the same. There two kinds of seine
used IN these waters for that purpose. The one
Is what We call hauling seine, which bring
ashore every thing IL surrounds, but the other is
called gill net, which only catches certain
size, suffering all tho rest to go through unmolesed
and at perfect liberty. Your Legislature of Virginia,
passed the most grevious law time during
the session before the last prohibiting gill fishing In
less than fifty nor than five hundred dollars
This Petilion II seems, was got up by The Potomac
fisherman principally signed by the inhabitants of the
District of Columbia, and sent tand presented by John
Powell, of fairfax county, Virginia This, we would
IMPOSE, not TO be a genuine petton but wish
% tell The public something about the game that is
now playing, We wish 10 tell you of the nature of the
fishing Of these senes and their dimensions also -
There are from twenty to fifty hauling scines the
Potomac river, which are from six fifteen hundred
hey from hIity In tv feet
deep, with not less than thousand iatboms of
rope. These senes are hauled from shore to shore
catching all sorts, both small and great, young and
DID, turning and entirely destroying all the spawns
deposited upon the bottom, while the innocent gill net
passing up and down the river with the tide, and
catching only certain SIZE by the neck he same
snare would catch rabbit, not allowed to fish,
Now we pray the honorable Legislatures, Senate ard
Commonwealth Of Virginia and Maryland to repeal
all laws prohibiting gill fishing in each of the above
named States; and in particular the Potomac river
But for the benefit Of the public pray that law
be made prohibiting any hauling sfne in the waters
OF these Commonwealth Of more than five hundred
iathoms IN length, with fur hundred fathoms Of rope
one hundred going out and three hundred coming in
as these seines certainly the Of the fish be-
coming And further, you will notice other
rivers, parc ularly Delaware, the North river, the
Rappahannock, James river, Pokomoke, Nantekoke
Fishing Bay, Choptank, Patuxeni with other rivers
where there none of these large senes used and
forasmuch this is the condition, at the present time
of the fishermen, We pray law be made prohibiting
any person persons from fishing any seine, either
hauling gill seine more than five hundred fathoms
long; and should any person the Potomac river,
or in the waters Of these Commonwealihs, fish any
longer net they shall be under fine of not less than
two thousand dollars, as the large fishermen do not
pay any respect 20 small fine law nor gospel God
Devil. We have not told you yet the size Of the
fish that these seines catch We will now do so -
The size of the marsh me sh of gill seine is ia
| inches vide, and very seldom catch fish weighing
less than four pounds, while the marsh mesh Of the
hauling seines IA inches, and will catch fish
weighing half an ounce. IL is generally seen, on the
Potomac river that those no fish with these al
up large quantities. of all sizes. The merchantabe
fish sold on the Shore sailed the small sized
fish caIted the land for manure by hundreds OF
cart loads. The spauns, Of course, are destroyed by
hauling, and II these seines suffered TO be hauled
on the Potomac river IL is wonder behring's are SIS
per barrel IL being Of our best rivers for these
fsh, it cannot be doubted but that within few years
II will be too late to make law TO this effect 1t is
the opinion OF the best Judges that If Virginia and
Maryland will prohibit those long scipes from fishing
and allow gill nets, (the most innocent net that
be used, to fish in their stead fish will be bought in
the western counties OF lhese States cheaper than they
| can low be had on the wharf in Alexandria, ID. c.
But as there is not much attention paid by officers
persons on the land to fishing oys,ering laws
| we further beg that, in the honorable Legs.
latures of Virginia aud Maryland should pro.
| bibit such hauling seines from being used in
4 li,hiiHt ulat tH'N WOuiu ut Oh taci
county in each State to enter each fishing shore in
| his jurisdiction and measure or examine each and
every seine hauled on such fishing shores not less
than five times IL each season and should he fai SO
to do, he shall incur penalty Of not less than five
| hundred dollars We wish the whole inhab tsnts Of
each State TO understand, that such laws have
at present, concerning fishing injurious TO the
community; but II appears, that some OF the propri-
etors OF those large senes not yet satisfied and
have said that they will have a law, to their minds
| fla - I-lg-
| spite If hell We understand that another one
has said, that he will have a law made to empower
the Potomac fishermen to use csnnons upon all such
boats may be fishing gill put in the waters OF
the Potomac river; AMI that he intends TO carry all
gill hshern'n TO Alexandra and ut them In JAIL,
| but this Is something like what Golsh told David
| that he would give, sc. Now, we consider this 10
be of more importance than anything under the
tce of the Legislatures, Senate and Commonwealthso
Virginia and Mary and, pray that they will an
thi- request Of heir petitioners and repeal such
/ grieyous laws as have been made and by so do ng
we believe that you will oblge the largest end OF
| each State. And should you not do something Of
this kind, We believe that those who love fish will
have 10 eat meat and should they not be able to get
meat they will have TO eat bread. We have noticed
one thing, which Is ths-hfteen years ago, herrings
were fifty cents per thousand at the wharf, in Alex
sndris and the Potomac seines were two hundred
fsthoms long, at that time, seines two and three
hundred fathoms long on the Delaware Bay, and
behring's we're from two 10 three dollars per thousand
but You very seldom sec n seine there more
than .eventy6ye fahoms long, and behring's hard
ly ever more than one dollar per thousand. But one
thing will mention that we think ii neces-
sary that there should be law made in each Of tho
States, prohibiting any person north Of Newcastle
county, Delaware, from listing any seine OF net in
the waters OF those Commonwealth for the purpose
Of catching shad or rring; there has been net,
seine, other fixture, invented in New York, that
will catch every fish that will enter the mouth OF
,ht AnsX fsY Tho If ne H. H.,
habitsnts Of James City County, Virginia, near Har-
rison's Bar, or City Point, where you w obtain iul
satisfaction
As this is matter Of great importance 10 the
good OF the community pray the editors Of certain
papers to copy this, amely-Richmond Enquirer,
HALLMARK Alex andria Of .hur Re