Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1900-03-17

not been in evidence, and the curren
of oyster enactment has run 81
smoothly 10 the halls OF legislation
! it Is doubtful il even the oystermer
themselves have kept In touch witt
it. No personal bills were introduced
the Committees on Fish and Game Ia
the Senate and Chesapeake and it,
Tributaries In the House refusing to
report any bills that had not received
the sanction OF the Board OF Fisher
les The following Is brief synop-
sis OF the bills that passed and have
now become laws:
l. A bill to provide for a recodifi-
cation of all legislation as to oysters,
CLANS, crabs, FISH, etc, which codifi-
cation will be presented in the form
OF two or more condensed bills to the
next Assembly, to be enacted In place
OF the disjointed and confused legis-
lation on these subjects now scatter
ed through the Code and subsequent
acts. The board has authority to
appoint three persons to perfect this
codfication, who are to be cOmpeI-
stated out OF the Board OF Fisheries
fund.
2. The Board of Fisheries have
been empowered to sell, exchange,
buy, or reinvest any OF the property
OF the State now comprised In the
oyster fleet at their discretion.
8. They are also authorized to EN-
ploy surveyors to verify, at their OPP
ton, the leases Of planters who may
be holding bottoms in excess OF their
lawful assignments, and to resurvey
and define any lines OF the Baylor
survey 10 dispute. A SUN not to ex-
coed twenty-five hundred (s2 5O0)
dollars annually has been appropria
ted out of the oyster fund to meet
the necessary expenses OF the act.
A. An important amendment to
the oyster laws provides that, where
lands have been Inadvertently as
signed to planters within the Baylor
survey, a sufficient time shall be Civ.
en- the dispossessed lessee to remove
his planted oysters and shells. Any
depreciation on said q Nnds before
the expiration of said sufficient time
will be punishable as larceny.
5. Hereafter tongers taking out
the ordinary assessment license-tax
on weekly sales Of oysters will be re-
quired to report to the inspector In
person.
8. The outlaw has been amended
to provide for measurement here
after of three inches from hinge to
mouth, instead Of two and half
inches as before, the former exemp-
lions as to James river and the ocean
side of Accomac and Northampton
and to Deep Greek in War
wick, remaining as before. But |
further amendment provides that
any person buying. or having In his |
possession, oysters Of the prohibited |
size, or shells taken from the natural |
rocks, shall be deemed guilty of
the law. and that oysters
and shells once passed from the GULL
ng- board to the inside of the boat,
,hall be deemed to have been taken
unlawful
z. The bond OF oyster inspectors
las been reduced from $4,000 to
B2, 900.
s. Hereafter all lessees of oyster
ground who h" re paid their
ent in advance, and who will proper
y define the outer lines OF their as
ignment as provided for in the bill,
will be allowed to dredge the same
ubject to the discretion and regula-
ion OF the Board of Fisheries in all
asses, provided that no dredging will
e permitted In any river and on the
cean side of Accomac and North
mpton counties without special per-
mission in writing from the board,
nd that no nonresident boat or
rev shall be employed in such
redging.
o A special license tax will be re- =
uired hereafter for taking CLANS Z
rom their natural beds for sale or
lanting, but any person taking out
be specific tax emitting him to take
ysters will be likewise entitled to :
AXE CLANS under the same. The
Iamming tax will be the same as
hat for taking oysters with the same
Inspectors fee, where only the clam
ling license is desired. But there is i
o close season provided for clans. t
10. On application of fifty or more C
rabbers the Board OF Fisheries is
uthorized to set apart and designate
Ich bottoms, not natural rocks, and a
OF assigned as planting ground. as t
l the judgment of the board may be b
ecessary for the use and benefit of e
lose licensed to take crabs. f
II. Certain amendments as to the
rading of depths of water In ass es-
ng taxes on pound nets have been
1ded to the fishing laws, and the act q,
now made to embrace "all the K
aters within the Jurisdiction of the n
tate," In order to apply to net fish- n
& in the Potomac. Other amend =,
ents have been embodied that are q
1t materially importa mt or radical. II
10. The close season for the ocean
de of Accomac and Northampton
unties has been chan ged. and will
,reafter embrace the period from
ay 25th to October LIST. 1t has also "
ZEN made unlawful to rough the ~