Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1860-05-24

position in favor Of the law, and endcavors t.
prove that it Is not unjust and oppressive, bu
all right. The gcntleman's effort Oh the side o
! the law is a good one, the fair Gotess Minerva
was evidently abiding with him, and by her min
istrations he was enabled to enjoy much liberty
He doubtless said as much in defence Of the law
as he could have said, without raising the val
from absurdity and thus defeating his object
But was there ever an absurdity 50 glazing OF
a wrong so manifest, that could not, be and has
not been defended by plausible and apparently
logcalargumentation? The forms Of logic have
as frequently been employed to mislead men a.
to conduct them to the truth.
And this brings me to consideration of The
claw and the testimony, as set forth in the late
Delegates late effort in vndicaton of the law il
question. He denies that the lawis oppressive
land cannot see how it can possibly work inius
ftice. The fact is, lie don't want to see He i.
like an owl flying athwart the bright beams o
a MONDAY sun, hooting--Where is it?
Now, as | do not want to be considered tedi-
Gus, either by the printer the public, | vii
not attempt to follow the gentleman in his re-
marks upon all the provisions of the law; non
is it necessary, since one of the provisions Of
the 'moiety" which he is perfectly willing tt
shoulder, will suffice to show all that desire OF
have contended for-that the law is oppressive
and consequently unjust. refer to that part
of the law which prevents the gillers from drift
ing opposite any shore actually in operation
and which the gentleman palliates upon the
ground Of protection to the Shore owner and
operator The privilege Of drifting anywhere
outside the defined bertls Of seine fishermen is
certainly one Of the greatest and the best the
hgillers have been permitted to enjoy. The oc-
cupation is worthless and proftess without it
A gill net is a drifting thing, borne upon the
waters in obediance to the tide it cannot re-
main between prescribed lines sufficiently long
to make the fourth of drift. They are gener-
ally required to drift about two hours to allow
them fair chance to catch fish, and / will ven
ture to assert, that in most cases they will drift
beyond the legal and prescribed boundaries ir
ten minutes after having been cast. Now, these
are facts. | claim to know something about
the matter for I have daily opportunities o.
observation. There is another difficulty which
[ will mention in connection with this provision
| Suppose, as it sometimes happens, that a shore
s in operation on the Virginia side, directly OPP
poste the shore on the Maryland side, where
| the giler has pitched his tent, why, in accord
ance with this law, he must strike his tent and
seek more favorable location
| | have shown how unfavorably this law ope-
rates, think, and how unproftable,i it makes the
occupation of gilng, if carried out to the letter
Now. it follows that unless the passage Of this
law, in this particular, can be pausibiy justified
it is oppressive, and this is all [ claim; for
if oppressive, the other qualifications can be
safely applied. 4a
Let us examine now the grounds upon which
the late Delegate has sought to prop it. The
State eXacts and receives large amounts from
the shore owner and operator in the shape o.
taxes, and this is an argument for equal protec-
| ton with the giIer So it is. No one presume$
to deny it. But is it an argument for nnequa
protection The late Delegate must not for
get that while the<5iler is shorn of his privilege:
the class he refers to are permitted to enjoy al
they ever had, with slight extension of time
The gentleman has been very circumspeet in the
use of his language at this point; does not want
to declare too boldly his idea of paramount pro-
lection for the seine OPERATOR but it is plain tt
the commonest capacity, that his justification o
the law in this particular, is pald-for protection
on the part of those whom the law favors.-
This is the gentleman's argumenta(this thu
meaning Of his anggage, 49, l!g 5F BE- sap
for the benefit OF one class at the expense of tht
privileges of another class of fishermen; passes
an act authorizing the County Commissioners tt
take off the price paid for protection to- what
ever amount they in their judgment might de-
termine: and | have been informed that th
price has been reduced one half. Now then
what appears to be the conclusion in this matter
That the law is not justifable upon the grount
of merited, paid-for protection or else we mus
open the pages Of political economy for the in
auguration Of new rule, and decide the thing
thus the less the pay the greater the protection
required, kind of inverse variation
But must make an end of the matter. 1thint
[ can consistently pronounce the law, as die
in my former communication, oppressive an(
unjust and lest the gentleman may consider thu
declaration begging the question, will add
that there is no violation of Polemical ethics
when the proof precedes the begging.
On the remark about mispent sympathy
. much might be said, but passing word is al
that space will allow of. Sympathy sometime:
reflects DO credit to the head. Itspcaks some.
times for she heart of man.
| subscribe to the bred Scott decision, but
not to law designed to exclude certain elias,
from the privilege of gilling, so ingeniously
worded as to make this decision cover the case
and with this view I certainly can holdthe re-
sponsibe part of the late Legislature to answer
! for the operations Of this law without arrai gnne
1 at the same time the Judges of the Supreme
Court. There is slight difference recognizable
in the functions Of tie two bodies but at the
same time SO great to preclude forever the
possibility of making them accountable for the
same offence
In conclusion, desire to say that would be
pleased to acqut the late Delegate Of any in
tention to sustain law, believing it wrong
He must be honest in his convictions concern
ing this law but if | may hazard the obtruson
of a little advice, would counsel him to cut
loose from this law. He may suppose that he
is safely moored to rock, but it may prove
nothing other than the back of whale and
drift him off unconsciously to some polar sea
where the weather is COLOR to the borders Of
some mae!strom of danger where destruction is
threatened if not inevitable.> PoMoNkEY
Nay 18th, 1860.
From the Planters Advocate.
BALTIMORE AND POTOMAC RAILROAD.