Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-02-16
Remar of Mr.. Simpson Of Searsport,
In House or REPRESENTATIVES, FEB. ID, o,
THE FISHERY BILL.


IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FEB 49, ON
THE lsHERf BILL.
Mr.. Speaker before presenting my reasons
for sustaining the minority report, viii say that
was surprised at the course pursued y,s,er-
day, by the friends Of the mai ,iitv rtport.
think that this is the first time in the history cf
legislation that q member who gave such subs IAN
t,al reason, a. did the gentlemen from Bath, wa
denied - simple request.
Ii Is perhaps unnecessary for me to maze these
remarks, a. the rybuke given by the House
enough to convince the gentleman that 1t would
be well TO amend the old adtge, SO il shall read,
"Courte.N i the best policy"
The TWO towns that compose the class that
1 have the honor to represent, are located at the
I mouth Of The Penobscot RIVER ami on the bay. a
re number OF men n those two towns are en-
gagged in weir fishing. They are all men of mod
craze mean--manv OF them are poor. some OF
them obliged to Obtain credit for the materials
~ tn winch their weits are constructed, and de
pend upon the proceeds of the h,h taken ~ the
shott season, to pay those b is and to support
their families.
This business never a very lucrative one, has
fallen off materially sluce the repeal Of the law,
which prohibited the SEEMING of po'gles IN our
small harDors aud iuIetS. Now II is a fact well
known to all those who have lived on the bleak
east, that tneie are Of enumes many consecutive
! dav-, on account Of wind and weather, that there
are no h-h taken. be eloie 1t /, not strange that
/ these fshtrmea should feel lmptient when by u
! change of wind they were cougratulsting them
ma potgie stea ners swooping down, Ike hawk
among flock of CHI ckens, gobbing up and
! frightening away every hsh within miles Of their
! wers.
| TINS matter of driving away fish from the
mouths of liver. and hal bors, is one OF serious
| impOlt to our fishermen. Livery one knows that
| the salmon, which l, the principal h'h taken in
cur woirs, arc very shy. Tue boats that go oat
! to catch the small mackelel-uukers, we call
/ tn mare never allowed to fish in the vicinity of
Of these wei :. Now if small boat with two OF
three men, quietly fi,1ng with lines, will have a
tendency to drive away those fish, you can easily
see what the effect would be if one or more OF
those steamers should come Flowing along, dis
tuto ne the waters win heir pTopeiIois, from the
surface 10 the ootoh'
MI speaker '-ano'her serious nattet 10 DC
consioereu Is tle Oh hsh 'hat are uesuoVeu
/ on our coast. IL may not ne geheraily known, Dat
II Is ldct una can ne proved, that tue uu'boet "l
hsh taken anu utizec, oesr Out small proper,
hon to those destroyed nave the statement OF
amember oil TINS House VINO Is largely engaged
IN SEEMING mAcketel, that wheh MS Ve'seIs tsSe
! wv DOS. OF mlcnerei they uesuoy more than oOo
bbls. OF other nsh' just thlnk oil IT more 'han
four times As many hsh destroyed thtn are utll-
| lzed'
Now, Mr.. Speaker, u TINS stare oil things con.
unue-, now long VIII IL DC before TINS moue oil
hshlng VIII be clis:ed among the lost arts
am aware thar II mas oeen stated by men VINO
| appeared before tne committee ia tue interest oil
this great monopoly that Is stealing the bread, or
ia'uNi i'"ui 'sN Va N.' H'"S az"
their families, that they do not take anything bat
/ porgles IN their selnes but an ounce OF common
sense and hive minutes reflection VII convince
any one that this Is an lmpos ioillty. When these
seines are used IN the shallow water near the shore
they inva laoly reach the bottom, and when the
Pulse lines are drawn up, forming nag, OF course
everything which Is surrounded by tne net l.
taken, and the weights on the lead lines as 1t
dfags on the bottom enables them TO take every
| lobster that happens TO be Inside the net ana III
this way thousands OF holsters are destroyed; and
as long as tins practice OF SEEMING IN shoal water
Is allowed, jlst so long will this wholesale de-
, structon OF lob;ters continue.
Mr. Speaker, do not think it wise nor do
visa to DESTROY or to interfere with the interests
! of This monopoly that has crown to such MANI
| tu6e thar IL il enabled to send such swarms of
int.re std parties here to influence this Home
Why. there ba, been men enough here since the
tho hr.r day of the session lobbyiug in the inter
eat of this porgy concern to form respec;able
third branch When say rsspectabe | mean m
noint of numbers. Now these n ,or fishermen an
near to a DISADVANTAGE 10 this respect They have
no orpsuizalion 10 thry can ASSESS themseiye, to
INV Two LAWYERS $500 each. with a promise OF
twice that sum if they succeed IN defeating thi.
bill They arr poor men, and in the absence OF
none, they have to rely ; lelv upon the iustnes,
of tne.r cause. which nope and trust is safe in
! thu naud, of tins Huuse
Nov a. | said before if i not the amount CA
6h ina - TAX en- that W.. complain OF for we have
the testimony of MIR LYMAN IN bi. in.trncti We
lactnrs On 6sb cul,nre that the marcy csnnot ne