Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-03-09
may enact constitution and bylaws

hV'ot VI ito OlhCSIS, lOf the aOmlS-
sion and expulsion of members, for
the acquisition aud management of
It's property and the proper conduct
OF its affairs, and for all other mat
ters not inconsistent with this act
and the laws of this State and the
laws of he Grand L,dge Independ-
ent OrGer of Odd Fellows of Virgin
Ia and may alter, amend and repeal
the same from time to time; and, NAV
acquire and hold propertv-real, per-
sonal and mixed-by purchase, gift
or devise, and may appoint trustees
to hold and manage the same with
authority topurchase, lease, hire, sell,
alien, mortgage and exchange the
same.
The purpose of said incorporation
being entirely benevolent, its capital
stock is fixed at the nominal sum of
five hundred dollars.
The principle place of business
shall be at Treakle, Lancaster county.
Virginia.
This act shall be in force from its
passage.
OYSTER LEGISLATION.
The past session has probably been
the most remarkable for quarter of
u century in the matter of oyster leg.
islation. The current of oyster en-
actment has run SO smoothly in the
halls of legislation, it is doubtful if
even the oystermen themselves have
kept in touch with it. The old fight
between local interest and State
equity has become a thing Of the past.
The Board of Fisheries law, enacted
two years ago, has made our fisheries
a State ques ton, to be dealt with
hereafter on business merits, While
some important legislation has been
enacted by the late Assembly, no per-
sonal bills were introduced, the COM
mittees of Fish and Game i'm the
Senate and Chesapeake and its Trib-
utaries in the House refusing to re-
port any bills that had not received
the sanction of the Board of Fisheries.
The following is brief synopsis of
some of the principle bills relating
to this section that have passed.
l. A bill TO provide for recodi-
ication of all legislation as to oysters,
CLAIMS, 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-
iatlon on these subjects now scattered
through the Code and subsequent
acts. The board has authority to
appoint three persons to perfect this
coditication, who are to be compen-
stated out of the Board of Fisheries
fund.
2. The Board of Fisheries are au-
thorized 70 employ surveyors to verify
at their option the leases of planters
who may be holding bottoms in ex-
cess of their lawful assignments and
to resurvey and define any lines of
the Baylor survey in dispute. A sum
not to exceed twenty-five hundred
($2,50O) dollars annually has BEEN
appropriated out of the oyster fund
to meet the necessary expenses of this
act.
3. 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 given
the dispossessed lessee to remove his
planted oysters and shells. ANY dep
relation on said grounds before the
expiration of sand sufficient time will
be, punishable-as larceny.
4. Hereafter tongers taking out
the ordinary assessment license-tax on
weekly sales of oysters will be required
to report TO the inspector in person.
o. The outlaw has been amended
to provide for a measurement here
after of three inches from hinge to
mouth, instead of two and a half
inches as before, the former exemp.
tons as to James River and the ocean
side of Accomack and Northampton
counties, and to Deep Greek In War
wick, remaining as before. But
further amendment provides that any
person buying, or having in his pos
session, oysters of the prohibited
size, or shells taken from the natu-
raj rocks, shall be deemed guilty of
violating the law, and that oysters
and shells once passed from the Gull
iag-board to the inside of the boat,
shall be deemed to have been taken
unlawfully.
6. The bond of oyster inspectors
has been reduced from $4,000 to
$4,000.
z. Certain amendments as to the
grading of depths of water in assess
ing taxes on pound nets have been
added to.the fishing laws, and the
act is now made to embrace "all the
waters within the jurisdiction of the
State" IA order to apply to net fish
ing in the Potomac. Other amend
ments have been embodied that are
not materially important or radical.