Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-07-17
PUBLIC LOCAL LAW.
CHAPTER 219.

III "A L FL = IL.
AN ACT to repeal section twenty-five, of an act
passed January session, eighteen hundred
and sevnty-two chapter one hundred TWEEN
ty-eight, entitled An Act to repeal section
twenty-five of article forty-one, of the Code
Public General Laws, entitled Fish and
Fisheries" subtitle 'sPatuxent,' regulating
the right of fishing in the Patuxent River
and its tributaries, and re-enact the same
with sub-sections.
WHEREAS Sundry persons, unknown to the
citizens of Prince Georges, Charles, St.
Mary and Calvert Counties, have heretofore
frequented the waters of the Patuxent River,
and with immense and improper seins, pat
ent weirs, and other traps and devices, have
been engaged in the catching and taking Of
fish in said river; and aohereas, the quantity
of fish in said river is fast diminishing, and
WILL at no distant day, without some wise,
prudent and effectual means be adopted to
prevent the wanton destruction of the same,
cease to be source of supply of food to the
residents along the valley of said stream
and aohereas, strangers and nOn-residents Of
this State have been in the habit of fishing in
the waters of said Patuxent River, in such
manner and by such means as to destroy
young and small fish in great numbers, and
to effectually prevent the passage of fish up
said river to their spawning grounds; and
schereas in order to prevent any further WON
ton destruction of fish in the waters of said
river by such seins, patent weirs, traps and
and other devices, aforesaid, and to protect
the citizens of Prince Georges, Charles, st.
Marys and Calvert Counties in their rights;
therefore
SECTION l. BE IL enacted by the General As
sem5ly Of Maryland, That section twenty-five
of an Act passed at January Session, eighteen
hundred and seventytwo, chapter one hun
dred and twenty-eight entitled an act to re-
peal section twenty-five of Article forty-one Of
the Code of Public General Laws, entitled "Fish
and Fisheries sub-titled 'sPatuxent," regu-
lating the right of fishing in the Patuxent
River and its tributaries, be and the same is
hereby repealed and re-enacted with sub-sec-
tons, so as to read as follows:
%. 1t shall not be lawful for any person or
persons, other than bona tide resident citizens
Of Prince Georges, Charles, St. Mary's and
Calvert Counties, to take or catch fish in the
waters of the Patuxent River and its tributa-
ries, with any seine, weir, trap or other device,
excepting only the hook and line-prouided,
that the provisions of this section shall not ap-
ply to such as shall obtain permission from the
owners of lands bordering on said waters to
fish off and opposite his her or their land or
lands so bordering on said waters; and provid
ed that none other than bona tide resident citi-
zens of said counties shall use in any of the wa
tiers of said river that bind on Prince Georges,
Charles and Calvert Counties above the village
known as Benedict, any seine, weir or net more
than seventy fathoms long, and less than two
inches square in the mesh.
SUBSECTION l. 1t shall not be lawful for any
person or persons to empty their seines upon
the beach, so as to leave the smaller fish to per-
iSh, but to empty the same in water of sufi-
cient depth to enable such smaller fish to re-
turn TO the waters for growth and maturatiOn-
SUBSECTION 2. Any person or persons vio-
lating the provisions of this Act shall be fined
not less than twenty-five, nor more than one
hundred dollars, in the discretion of the JUS
tice of the Peace before whom the case is heard,
which amount shall be appropriated to the Pub
lie School Fund of the county wherein such
Judgment is rendered and for the payment OF
the amount of fine so adjudged, any boat, seine,
weir or other-fshing tackle, used by any person
or persons in violation of the provisions Of this
Act, shall be seized and held security, upon
complaint against such offending party.
SECTION 2. Ind be 1t enacted That this Act
shall take effect from the date of its passage.
We hereby certify, that the aforegoing is
correct copy of an Act of Assembly passed jan
uary session, 1874.
AUGUSTUS GASSAWAY,
Secretary of the Senate.
MILTON Y. KIDD,
Chief Clerk of the House Of Delegates.
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