Daily Republican., 1881-02-05
samuel townsend speaks.
fFrom the lissetta.l

! lEAUh Wv Ne"SNS'i
MR. BDrroR: have just been shown
what is termed proposed act at Dover
! called "The Fish, Oyster and Game
Law" Two years ago q tyrannicsl
act wss passed called "Game Law"
for the benefit of certain sporting gen
ltry. stated then that the Lsgisla-
ture had no rights TO give 10 these ex-
olusives, rs the only public property
was the roads, and gunuing or shoot
ing had already been forbidden on the
public roads. There were great prom
ises OF stocking the State with birds,
and no doub. these game law men
have shot aud killed fifty times as
Imany birds as they introduced or s0t
at liberty in the State. Now, Que pro
vision in the propo2ed rew bill is a hne
OF $25 on any person VINO shoot3 during
the next four years prairie chicken,
(wOrth from ten 10 fifteen csnts,) the
intormer getting one-half of the fine.
Therefore, II poor man shoots one OF
the said chickens, aud owns COW
worth $25, his cow weuld be taken
from him for the fine, aud his hcgs
might be taken for the costs. Goa help
the poor man Is this law Intended
for Delaware or Russiaf Next Is long
penal law about ish. This fish hatch
ing and stocking the waters with fisb
is merely an experimen! started sove-
raj years ago by Yankee named Sch
Green. Now, if the people of Della
ware had no rivers, or creeks, or mill
ponds, aud hardly knew what a fish
was, and were on the point of starVa-
tion, unless something could be intro
iduced TO sustain life there might be
some excuse TO try the experiment Of a
food fsh law but as Delaware, through
her situation, has naturally fine sup
plies OF fish, is 1t sensible or reasonable
that hor citizens should be deprived Of
the right to take fish by seines, gill
neis or hook aud line, under penalty
of heavy fires, for fear they might get
a stray German sucker, or carp, or
trout, or salmon? Year bolore last, af-
ter great blowing and several volumi
nous documents passed between our
Congressman, Fish Commissioner Baird
at Washington and myself, about forty
fish, near one aud q half inches long,
were sent 10 NE, called German carp or
Dauute suckers. | had them put in
the mill pond, and up 10 thjs time
have never seen or heard OF them ;
and would it be reasonable that per
sons should, by gill net or hook aud
line, be debsrred, under heavy penalty,
from fishing In said pond, where there
are pike, white perch, suckers, cat -hsh,
mud shad and other pau fish. Religion
Is also invoked, as II imposes hesVy
penalty for catching fish on Sunday by
Iome poor man or boy who may need
thsm TO sustain life, while the railroad
companies infringe on the Sunday Law:
by Running cars and taking train loads
of the most dsorderly persons on ex
cursious 70 watering places and negro
meetings. This ia winked at, while a
poor boy who catches a catfish is fined
heavily for it; and II terrapin hap
pens TO be one-qusrter OF an inch lesa
than six inches, and is sold, the seller
Is subject to line OF fifteen dollars.
IAppoluinimink hundred is bounded on
most Of her parts by Delaware bay,
Appoq uirimink and BlaUkbird greeks
aud mill ponds. On both creeks there
have been seine landings since the frs
settlement Of the county. One OF tht
said landings on AppoqutDimink creeb
Is on the farm OF our ulembsr OF tht
Legislature, and is 1t reasonable or tC
be expected that the citi2eDs Of thit
hundred would forego their privileges
- OF supply Of ti3h accorded to them bJ
, nature TO Try a doubtful experiment o
, fsa Matching, while We now have shad
| rock Ash ana white perch that have nj
= equal. Therefore this hundred, near )
! ~ sman demands exception from suct
: Law, ard that no Fish ComnissiOne
be alloaed to put his foot in this hun
drUd to carry ont such an OutraReon
law or sst at liberty one h9h, for WI
had Inuol rather be witkOut him Gnr
his Ash than to submit to such law
SAMUEL foWSsgND.
Townsend. Del, Feb. 3, 1881.