The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-07

Capt. J. u. Baylor and Capt. Ben Chamber.
Aon ..,.s Joint Committee

l
Game and tho uonse Committee on tho
Chesapeake and it's Tributaries met yes
tertlay afternoon I'm the Senate Chamber.
with Senator Washington IN inc chair.
Senate Bill No. pa was taken up which
seeks to promote oyster culture In chcsa-
peake bay. 1t provides that any OF the
area Of Chesapeake bay proper Which is
more than two s,asute miles from mean
| low-water mark. and not eno,'Neu m the
survey OF the natural oyster Deus' rocks,
and shoals OF the state, may pe occupied
for the purpose OF plating VI p'opasating
oysters thereon. Two years ailer the pas
sage of the act any person ga 10 al
lowed 10 rent oyster-pianuhs e,ouhds in
Chesapeake bay proper, ana "i'r'" ards
sub-rent or sub-let the same ~ another
person.
Captain j. y. Baylor aiatc1 inc object
Of the bill was to admit outsiue capital
10 Chesapeake bay an area vi so -ifc
miles In length and ten niles WIZ, con-
tanning about go square l'i'0S IL the
experiment proved successful ~ would
largely add to the prosperity Oh III state.
There was no one Twins IN ''7.'id VINO
was skilled in the oyster lnuus.S' ana
10 capital Hdu Uttn lshf-NNA ''ftNs
Capt. BENJAMIN Chambers, OF NoIthum-
berland who for six years past has rep
resented that county and NeStr"O'eiand
in the House Of Delegates. spoke ID OPP
position to the bill. He said II represented
a new departure for Virginia ~ tis idSl
session Of the Legislature the "'a'e hdd
undertaken a great work willeh i'iu not
yet been entirely completed ioi ne sur
veys made at the direction OF lhe state
had not yet been filed as required ana
the people could not yet see whether the
work was done right or not ne hil
demanded that large area OF oyster
grounds be rented out. while II was nV1
known whether they contained any n"'u-
raj beds or not This would ne me
man who had something 20 sell "'thou,
knowing its value II had not pesii inc
practice in other oyster States 10 let IN
outsiders anywhere.
As an original proposition ne N"u'n
favor the measure. bur be did nor think
the time was ripe for Il. such an oppor-
tunity should first be offered 10 inc p.'
pie Of Virginia before foreigners were IN
vited To come i'm. He could not recon-
mend the bill at this time' 'speSianS
not when the State was deriving . IoNe"u'
Of $500 from the dredging IN Ch1SdieaN'
bay. At present the SURVEY cAtth'et ""s
very little into the bay. The pil s''le',
that no natural rocks should De rehlc1
ont, but 1t was not certain that no hdtu'di
rocks could be found en- the bay:
Another objection vas a poh'lC"i ore
II foreigner could rent out anu suD'e1
the oyster area. which was denied ~ our
own people, the former wouid import
the cheapest kind of labor. Dagos' Hun
garians. Scandinavians. and all the eVH
H.. aFf 4lfl
When they had accomplished to make
q vast fortune they would return where
they had come from. lie therefore adj
viscd that the passage Of such bill be
postponed until the survey had been
completed and the value of the oyster
grounds ascertained. When this was
done. he thought the gentlemen from
Connecticut would not be 50 eager TO
come here.
Captain Baylor stated that there were
about 5000 acres Of natural oyster rocks
in the Virginia waters, and DO planting
was carried on In Chesapeake Bay.
Captain Chambers corrected him by
saying that there was one oyster planter
off the shore Of Lancaster, who cult-
waited about 400 acres Of oyster grounds.
Captain Taylor explained that no natur-
al rocks were 10 be rented out. but he
thought ii unwise to let the vast area Of
the bay remain Idle.
Senate bill No. 233 was next taken up.
which seeks to increase the efficiency OF
the oyster fleet of Virginia. II provides
for the use OF four steam launches
equipped for the service Of the oyster
feet. for which the sum of SIS 600 should
be appropriated. after disposinS Of the
schooner Tangier and the pungy POGO
noke.
Colonel Morton Marye opposed the bill.
rs a member Of the board on the Chesa-
)cake and it's tributaries. He did not
hink II necessary TO 80 10 the expense
# maintaining five steamers. The present
steamer Chesapeake was unsuited I'm
many respects. II the State was 10 have
shell fish commissioner. it would have
o have another steamer, which was
adapted to go all over the grounds; the
present steamer was very faulty and
lrawing too much water. At present |
he maintenance Of the oyster fleet cost
bout $1,000 a year.
Captain Baylor thought that il would /
'ost about $500 a month to run one Of /
hese steam launches.
Another bill taken up was Senate bill |
40. lS5, which amends the present law /
,oats on the boats Of the inspectors. /
'ut also the oystcrmen and the fine /
: placed in the bill against the men, in
tead Of against the boats as in the 4
present boats The bill merely intended to |
orrect some oversight by which the /
resent law was drawn.
The committee finally decided to report |
his bill favorably.
Another long discussion followed. when
senate bill No. 10 was taken UP. which
eeks to make the unlawful dredging Of
ysters misdemeanor instead OF a felony
. 1t Is under the present law.
At the close OF the discussion IL appear-
ii that the Committee Of the House had
10 quorum and IL was decided that that
ommittee should pass on the bills next
ay.
The Senate Committee then proceeded
D vote and decided 10 report adversely
he first bill. Senate bill No gss was not
cted upon and the last bill was reported
avOrably