The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-12-04
FISH CATCHING.

and Madison was enacted:
BE 1t enacted By the Legislature of the
State of Minnesota:
| SECTION l. That it shall be unlaw-
full for any person Or persons to spear.
net or in any manner take or catch
any fish in lakes Washington, Jeffer-
son or Madison, in the counties of
Blue Earth and lie Sueur, in the state
OF Minnesota, or from any inletor out
let Of either Of said lakes within said
counties, between the first (1st) day
of December and the first (1stl day of
April following of each and every
year, or for any person or persons to
take or catch any fish from either of
said lakes or their inlets or outlets as
aforesaid at any time of the year. ex-
cepting by means of hook and line.
Sec. 2. Any person who shall yio-
late the provisions of this act shall
upon conviction thereof be fined in
the sum of five dollars 1851 for each
and every fish so speared, netted or
| in any manner taken or caught as
aforesaid, together with the costs of
| prosecution, and shall stand commit
ted to the county Jail Of the county
within which such violation occurs
4 OhOl4 SUN AAC DO pau Il fOctDcu. U1dU
such imprisonment shall not exceed
one III month.
SEC. 3. The sheriffs and deputy
sheriffs, the constables Of the several
townships and the marShals and
police officers of the several towns,
villages and cities in the counties of
Blue Earth and LIE Sueur, who are
now or may hereafter be in office,
shall be within their several jurisdic-
lions the fish wardenS of the said
counties of Blue Earth and lie Sueur.
And it shall be the duty of all said
wardens to faithfully enforce all of
the provisions of this act, and it shall
be and is hereof made the duty of
every such officer TO (but any other
person may take cOgniZance Of all
violations of this act, and where, of
their own knowledge or upon receiv-
ing information, it shall appear that
any provision of this act has been
violated, it shall be the duty of such
officer or officers to make complaint
and prosecute such offender.
Sec. 4. Any sheriff, deputy sheriff,
constable, marshal or police officer of
either Of said counties, or any of their
townships, villages or cities who will
| fully neglectS or refuses to perform
any duty required of him by section
three 81 of this act, shall be deemed
guilty of malfeasance in office, and
shall.upon conviction thereof, be dis
qualified from holding the same for
and during the remainder of the term
for which he was elected or appoint
ed.
SEC. ). All prosecutions under
| this act shall be commenced with u
sixty 1901 days after the time of the
commission of any offense Hereunder
and shall be upon complaint on oath
before any Justice of the peace within
the county in which such offense oc-
ours: and all fines imposed and col
| lected under this act shall be paid in
to the treasury of the county wherein
such offense is committed for the use
and benefit Of the common schools of
such county.
SEC g. Chapter three hundred
and forty (340) Of the Special Laws of
eighteen hundred and eighty seven
| 1851, and all acts or parts of acts
inconsistent with the provisions OF
this act, so far as the same apply tC
the counties of Blue Earth and LIE
Sueur, be and the same are hereby
repealed.
SEC. I. This act shall take effect
and be in force from and after its
passage.
Approved March l., 1891.
There are several objections urged
against this special act for the pro
lection of fish in lakes Madison
Jefferson and Washington, but per
haps the only really valid objection is
that law IS special and local, and not
general as it should be, because al
the lakes in the state are entitled tt
this same protection. 1t may be re
marked in regard to this law, that il
is more extensive in its scope than
one might suppose because the tribu
taries. outlets and inlets, of the three
lakes named cover quite large scope
of country and really embrace about
1 all the lakes in the Northeastern part
of Blue Earth county and in the South
end of lie Sueur county.
The useless slaughter of fish by
sportmen at any time Of year is pro-
hibited by the General Law, and no
doubt those who are debarred from
fishing through the ice in winter will
take an interest in preventing the
useless destruction of FISH in the
summer. If they do so. the best ends
of legislation will have been served.
At any rate this winter fishing must
be stopped. because Minnesota ca n
not afford TO be robbed of one of its
chief glories. which it shows with SO
great pride. in its inland lakes teem-
ing with game fishes.
The argument so frequently made
by those engaged in this slaughter of
| fish. that they have a natural right as
citizens of the United Stated TO fish
as they please in these lakes is not
sound. The general government has
| never interfered with the control by
states OF waters lying wholly within
the borders of such states except as to
navigation. If the general govern
ment did. however, attempt TO e1-
ercise such control it would as likely
as not be in the same direction. So
that the many, and those distant.