Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1872-03-01
(CoMMuNIcArED.1
Potomac Fisheries.


The time for fruitful discussion of the old
and almost WORKOUT subject-"Fish and Fish
ing upon the Potdmac"-is again upon US
and an evil Of nature we did not apprehend
threatens US from an unexpected quarter
The bill reported by Mr. Stone and which
passed the House of Delegates last week.
throws the Potomac river open to the gillers
of the whole United States, without even a
pretence of protecting the county giler. The
law left with this section repealed, Boston
giller has as much right to fish his nets in the
Potomac as Charles countian. The section
repealed by Mr.. Stones bill, confined gillng
to the "citizens of the counties bordering Oh
the Potomac" and that is just what we coun-
ty OILERS want You may rest yourself as
sured, Mr.. Editor, that the attention of Rep
resentatives from other parts Of the State once
called to this section repealed. by Mr.. Stones
bill, will never consent to it's re-enactment
We must pow content ourselves with limiting
gilling to the citizens Of the State, which, al
though right in principle, in practice will
throw our river open to every "Blue Belly
Yankee" who may'choose to come here: for
we have no possible means of determining the
citizenship of Boston men, who will come
here claiming to be from Allegany county,
Md. The law of 1870 wisely avoids repeal
ing the 10Th section of the law of 1860, be-
cause it confines giing to citizens bordering
on the Potomac. The substitute offered by
Mr.. Chapman was wise and timely, but was
refused by Mr. Stone to have it considered !;
it was plain, simple and covered the whole
ground as understood and claimed by every
intelligent giler or fishermen upon the whole
Potomac. 1t was to this effect, as published
in the last Times: at shall not be lawful
for any person to fish in the Potomac or its
tributaries with gillnets during the months of
March, April, May and June, except bona
.fde citizens bordering on said river; and in
case any one is charged with the violation of
this section the burden of proof of citizenship
pressed the original bill as measure to re-
lieve the poor man." We suppose Mr.. Stone
means by "the poor man" the poor OILERS of
Yankeedom; certain it is, the repeal of Sec
ton 18th aud the refusal to accept Mr.. Chap
mans substitute is no relief to "the poor man"
of Charles county.
'Tis true we some how or other like these
old things-trustfulness and honor, and there
fore we do not like to find fault with Repre-
sentative Stone, because he told US before We
elected him that ''the fish of the Potomac
ought to be as free as the air we breathe, to
all men He gave us fair warning upon that
point therefore we ought to lay our hands
apon our mouth. We hope, however that
Mr.. Stone will be enabled before the session
adjourns, "to see the@epfor of bis ways" and
.'to repent and amend" The door being open
to the OILERS of the United States, we have
now no hope, except in decisions of the Su-
preme Court in parallel cases. In fact We
should not be surprised if we are not cut out
entirely, for we think that there is an old law
which prohibits glling by any one, passed
possibly between 1848 and 1866. If then
the riparian fishermen choose to fall back
upon the old law and customs Of those days.
it will be seen whether or not Mr.. Stone has
conferred boon upon "the p or man." The
law Of 1860 was awkward and un-artis-like,
we admit, but with all its bungIing we had
our waters guaranteed to us and to nnbulv
else, we were satisfied, and we think that our
ought to have rested quiet
upon that subject.
A GILLER.