The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1889-03-14
Chapter On Fish ana Fowls.

not, therefore, be made the prop
erty of the sons of men. with our
first breaking ,iowii the old COM
mon law. When we come to
consider the age of the Republic,
all reasonable men will agree
that it Is yet too young 10 take
up the very laws that have and
are driving so many Europeans
to America each year. Ii not es-
pecialIy the game laws, ii is laws
equally as arbitrary, laws that
owe an existence TO narrow
minded rulers who borrowed their
ideas of justice from that age,
when glorious, bully old England
as the senior class of our public
schools appears 10 look upon her,
thought it was not beneath the
dignity of the common herd to
wear an iron collar as a mark of
ser!tsom.
But to move mp a little closer
| to Mr.. Britt omis bill. He would
give The fish that swim IN the
streams that run through and the
fowls that inhabit the air, that
floats over the lands in this State
to the owners of those lands.
Now, there are a great variety Of
fish and fowls, and just what
plan Mr.. Britton will suggest to
bring abont a fair division of the
spoils and the rules that must he
adopted to determine absolutely
the ownership of this or that fish
or fowl, are not embodied in his
bill, nor yet given 10 the public
in any other way. Fish move
twice a year an a majority OF
the fowls that lnhabit the air are
migratory. Quail and grouse are
of a rowing disposition, and in
side of a week very frequently
travel over a dozen farms. One
day fhey belong 10 Mr.. A; the
rest of the week they belong ia
his neighbors. Now in making
the fowls tha: inhabit the air The
property of the land owners, il
opens up.:he way for future liG.
CATION much the same as if the
fowls were bulls, rams or asses.
Supposing all the crows IN a
township should congregate, as
they very frequently Go. and
make a RAID on Mr.. AS cOrnfield
They tear II up root and branch
Mr.. A wants damages, but who
will lie sue 2 II they we're cat
tie he could soon settle the qnes.
lion, but with fowls never. Sup
posing Mr.. AS s0wls should in
wade Mr.. rs domains and Mr.. 8,
shoots them. How will Mr.. A.
prove Inst. the fowls belong IL
hlms lie carrot do it.
If Mr.. Britton should succeed
in breaking down the common
law and make the fish and fowls
the pro pertv of The free holder
this property, we presume would
have 20 be listed for taxation
Wouldn'l there be a dearilr ot
fish aid ssvls when the assessor
come around Very naturally
We have law against tresspass.
Ing alter lands are posted. The
farmer can exclude all intruder,
aud in season kill all the game he
may find on his lands, but as foI
making him the absolute ownel
of fish THAI swim in the water!
that run through and the fowl
that inhabit the air that float'
over his lands; it seems to MS like
an absurd and very foolish pro
position. We think il is absurt
because we believe that no MAJ
has the right TO fix the owner
ship of The wfN goose that win.
ters III The tropics and bring
forth its young IN the arctic re
giOns. Is not The same true O
nearly every either wild fow'
Fish in ponds that have bee1
stocked by the land owner an
domestic fowls must be recogniz
ed as the property of the Ian,
owner, but The fish That swim ii
our streams and the fowls tina
inhabit the air are Gods gift I
The people, as much SO as the al
and the sunshine.
The Farmer is already protect
ed against the trespassers an
THAT ii should be made Grim
for a .aa.i to kill a fowl that ma
have wandered from some Ias.
owners possessions TO publ
lands or catch a fish at a for
where a public road crosses
stream, is not far removed from
the English law that make sue
a practice a sehas ofense. w
have a law y, !tt..its State for tn
protection OF fish. We have
commission whose business it
10 stock the streams of the Stat
and fishing grounds Of our reser
, co;rs anj I,ake Eria IE tbac