New-York tribune., 1869-03-05

y,.ns v"yrS al.S hc forfeiture Of the cnlpriFs
vessel. with her cargo. &c, &c. ,d Ga orotbcr Of
nr ceuf Der hsrl on ali oysters bought or taken MltL
he Ims Of Virginia for packing or p'eHhnE' "Ni0N
'''' TIE OYSTER LAW OF MARYLAND.
Tho Oyster law Of Maryland rs It $1,000 .lt on t"o
sagt. hooks p GP 9 the '9S I YFoF Of Ma d at year
another was passed. which was slight inplonr"''E' E
uron the old one. One year later mo Oeheln O 10
scml,y passed another; and some tne uuIis uII ,nY
n.yt session this will in all probability. De IT, fa'
and "A new one enacted. which, t Is TO he hopcI WI,
in some measure. correct the blnnders mpouhuidHH A. w.
tbc present law and establish for the Mary hG
snmtiy reputation for legislative acumcn such 10 T"
has not enjoyed for many years ,5os
Tho Oyster law of March 20 1873 pl9yiucIm , n taking
cysrrs % W lie waters Of the State, must obtain leoSe
from the Controller No ai cso e n.ed AZ IN taxi oysters
Oysters sml not he taken between inc i'' VI '''' ""
Tn9 license for each shall he % per tn;
Cnslu house measurement. For ca"Ots rom 81 W sio
& ,as & g, yf I'm any creek river cove, inlet bay,
or so1nd Within the limits Of any county o'her 'i'"
scclion cnncs that av resident Of mo Std'e may DO
licensed take Scrs with rake or ionEn, p, tk,
toyc that the license shall not authorize l 10 'nh
Them within the limits Of county III "hieh ho 10 "'
| licensed 49,, .,,to,,., ,o sbow that lac is a
,esitDi or me county, In which he makes nrlcnih hhu
the person licensed Is required To nave 'Ho h'''o' " ~
Tn rrGg is a"Scd Within the mits Of any county
Of the state rhe Aorey Genf,n,i Grrdes from
MING ihcr vocation in The waters Of rivcror creek
iynr,, ttr houuLaty br tween the two cuuntIrA)
when an onen-e Is committed agHinst me law W,.n t
Lc limits 81 any county. tho oh uGer shll be lt't W
Jm.iicr OF the Peace within that county; pn u m
wittrd be yod such limits but within those OF the Sta,t
then nay Justce of th" Peace, or The 'ict Court :. WV
Ma" ii,msn Ia ronmttcd. shall have iuri,dicon and 10
| snail pty the cost uUt OF tho Oyster Fund. .
Tie officer IN cnrgc Of the oysier Police shall cruse
day haul d examine the icentc- nt ai iho Oa's
vc'scls gagged In lnhg olSleis ~ t ~ o't,' I
nl PERSONS found VIOLATE the law, and lr lo ve-ses
Of all such. llc shall take tue nec9-sa neirI m m tT &
Justice. nud make charges agninst tbthi ~ h' hnu ~
the state, whreupUn the Justice shall lOtetu Im"e
oiaiet to ny The eases mn.ss, s,y %y' &, rrl5,,d
| owner. 81 land bordering on amy oi lhc nnylgaDle
riyrIs ~ the Stae shall havo Tie exclusive plNsrA "l
oihor slcll.s within he Hines of their own land O~'rs
of land bordering upon nuv ot the waters oi tie s."tc
snI have power 10 locate aud appropriate IN any "i
such waters live acres for The IIrlo'.o oi t'tH'llg
| bedding, or sowing oysters &c. Hil h'E
other cliizr 81 the State shall have power Ia "cnie an"
auprnp,ate five acres In any waters Of sald state ol
drgIy Ire 'cig m nrs @ s be given 10 the owner or or
ruInnt of ilo lands lying the water proposed 1" he
uf calu hut hc shalt fail To locate within ten days
after receiving The notice II snll c open aud fGe 10 a'y
clrizrnui Tie State who slll have given such hoirr
Tie appropriation thaIi be marked 10y stakes hrs'l
ton made rudc the oath Of snrveyOr and Lhe same ic
| Livery yr-Sr Engaged IN dredging -ha nay" the nnm-
hcr Of the license autcd upon TIE fore or niaShl' or @"
Shn bc rxpo,rd TO view vhilc the yesSc is dredging
The law is very pasicuar IN regard TO the mrasnr-
g oysters ana lilt SalllN Hlt va
measures. It provides for sworn mcatilirlS Wh93
sIall be paid one cent per bushc for measuring, aud
Who shall pay so each for their license. -
The lines imposed for the violation ot the oyster
Law range from s. to 500 and in certain eases the
vessel of The offender is fnfriied. The stealing OF
mbedded or planted oysters Is male felony, pu"
i,hablc with imprisonment IN tho penllehuaiJ Ioi
term of from one TO five years; ,,
There are many defects in this law, some OF which
u l,ay ,"t r nc , ~, W y.sc, engaged IN nun
ming oysters To- market. unless they arr also cngSr
ia dr,dgng IL requires tle number OF liT yrss,I 70
be- displayed only while she IS dredging lHiS opens
| q wide loup-hOlc for the dishonest dredgeiS-aild
] their name Is lcglOn-and really enables them u
| .yadc the law at will Ii leaves is ut the option Of
the oysrruian TO display his number on ilng, or on
the foIe % maiusail: whereas the number Shonid Dc
! sinmp,d or painted upon the most conspicuous part
nf tlc mansn in figures nj least IS inches IN length
| ami of n uniform Styo 10 bo adopted 10y The Con-
trullur. who shOuld require the marking OF tho pun
! grs io be- performed by suitable officer at The time
thc licrusrs arc taken ont. lho Objection 10 lhl5 n
that the numbers are changed every year. Ilis rla
hc easily oyercome by issuing. IN lt9 10 John smith
who held license No lO IN 1905 license bearing me
same number, nul when john Suiti applies IN 1910
let him again BE- authorized to carry lO az LIS main
! saii peak and 80 on, TIL lic changes his Nesatl
According tu the provisions 81 section 2. u t0n@ing
license may bc issued To any resident "f Tie STATE
,,LiI, ,.ction rcouircS each applicant for such
license 10 prove that hc - Resident ot the comfy
/ i'm which he makes application. There Is - cOnlc-
tiou here which, b, sides rejecting litc credit upon
the Legislature has caused great dtal oi ulhtct'-
say trouble to fisherman MS woll rs 10 tue on'eis oil
| the law.
| These arc n few Of the most prominent defects III
the law itself In the execution ot II there are many
difficulties which the next Assembly wOuld do wei
10 rgislatc upOn For instance. Somerset one of Tho
hest oyster counties in the state has special License
law for the benefit of the County School FUND; abd
under this law Licenses are issued for ono year from
! daic and arr consequently cNpirng az all times.
This II a source of mach conln'oil' ad lehurls the
detection o fraud IN certain caSrsanoSt Impossible;
for under the State law all licenses are dated jan J.
The clerk of tins county ~ M the habit ol issuing
couufv dredging licenses upuu State licenses 10 tong
mud uuUtltr oil confusion TO tlle oyster
men lt also renders the law uupopularnnd frequently
hiudrTs the proper execution oI H. simple act ot
the General Assembly requiring all licenses TO eN!lfe
ON the st of September, would Slmp ny lie mnllcl
The OYSTER Police Commission u composed oi The
Governor Treasurer Controller, superintendent OF
Labor and Agriculture and lhe CLERK oi iHe Court 81
Appcal. The commander of the force Is required 10
make "A monthly report 10 the Commission concerning
tho service rendered by the force; and in the special
pct Of April lStS establishing the Bureau oi Labor
and Emigration. II is provided:
That for the purpose o inqnnrg INTO me nnri i9pe1
Resources ~ the wealth 81 me STATE. With, mo iS ~
the Chesapeake bay and its trbuiarler tue eutih'hu
ct ~ Labor and Agriculture may WIN lhe concurrence
uf commissioners uf the s,ltc oyster fOlcr F"tc
require tue commanding officer of ad force to make such
iuquiri,s uud EXAMINATIONS Hs VIII ttHd !" develop lhe
uf revenue the state; and the said commanding officer
shall frequently report tho result Of his Investigations to
the sald superintendent
WHAT SHALL BE DONE WITH THE CHESAPEAKE
ONNrER-B
Many Intelligent citizens of Maryland who feel n
deep interest in the prosperity OF the State and who
desire 10 have all her resources developed and made
available iO her people. and through them, to the
world at large, take the ground thar the OYSTER law
is IN many respects unjust Onc-unIrIst Ia the
people who must live by the oyster, unjust 10 those
who make IL an article of commerce. and detrimental
10 the interests the State. They hold that neither
Eiuia nor Alarl land has the right To Calm ursdic
tinn over the waters Of the Chesapeake. and that the
Oyster-leds of The Bay should be opened 10 tho
vessels all the States subject to such rcStlc ions
ms may be imposed 10y the Congress- Of the United
States strong effort IL now being made in Balti-
morc-and il seconded 10y the voters ot one of the