Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-03-17
HANNAH OYSTER BILL.

A Bill entitled an Act to establish
and promote the industry OF oys-
ter culture 10 the State of Mary
land.
Section l. Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of Maryland. That
any bona fide resident OF Maryland
shall have the right to plant and cul-
tiyate oysters in the waters OF this
State; and such right shall be exer-
cised in the manner prescribed in
the following sections of this Act,
and shall be subject 20 the regula
!stioass@ s0risionsa -aBd- limitations
hereinafter set forth. but no corpor-
alton or joint stock company shall
be permitted 20 lease or take up, or
to acquire by assignment, or other
wise, any lands OF the State for oys-
ter planting or cultivation.
Section 2. And be it tenacted, That
all natural beds or bars shall be ex-
cluded from the operation of this
Act, and no person shall be permit
ted TO plant or cultivate oysters
thereupon, or in any way appropriate
the same to his own use. The term,
natural bed or bar, wherever she
same may be used in this Act, is in
tended 90 apply to all land where
oysters grow naturally in such guam
titles as to justify a person or per
sons in resorting to it regularly for
livelihood.
Section 3 And be it enacted, That
this Act is not intended to apply to
any lands owned by private per-
sons, the bounds of which extend
into or beneath the waters of this
State; neither is it intended To az
feet in any manner the rights of any
persons who have heretofore planted
oysters in accordance with any ex-
isting law OF Maryland. This Act
shall not be SO construed as to APP
ply to any creek, cove or inlet, less
than one hundred yards in width at
its mouth at low tide.
Section 4. And be il enacted, That
the Office of Shell Fish Commission
er of Maryland is hereby created.
The term of the incumbent of said
Office shall be fonr years, reckoning
from the first Monday of May after
his appointment. He shall be ap-
pointed by the Governor of Mary
land, with the advice and consent of
the Senate. The salary ofsaid Com.
missioner shall be FIVE thousand
dollars per year. The Commis-
sioper shall be allowed to employ
chief clerk upon salary Of fif-
teen hundred dollars per year, and
such assistants, not exceeding ten
in number, at graded salaries, t. oe
named by the Commissioner, not to
exceed twelve hundred dollars for
any such assistants, as he deems
necessary to aid him in the proper
performance of his duties prescribed
by this Act. He shall also be al
lowed to employ competent sur
veyor, who shall also be q hydro
graphic engineer, upon a salary to
be named by said Commissioner, not
exceeding twenty-five hundred dol
lars a year. All salaries, outlays
and disbursements authorized by
this Act shall be paid out of the gen.
eral treasury of the State OF Mary
land, upon acquisitions made by the
Shell Fish Commissioner, endorsed
by the Comptroller of the State, but
the same shall be repaid out of the
first revenue arising from the leas-
ing of lands for oyster culture, which
is contemplated by this Act The
Commissioner shall. Immediately aft
er his appointment, file in the office
of the Clerk of the Court of Appeals
a bond, with a surety or sureties. TO be
approved by the State Treasurer in
the sum of twenty thousand dol
lars, conditioned for the faithful per-
formanceof the duties imposed upon
him by this Act The said Commits
sioner shall take and subscribe be-
fore the Governor Of the State the Of
fetal oath prescribed by the Conssi-
tuition.
/ Section 8. And be il enacted, That
the Commissioner shall keep at his
Office in the City OF Baltimore, books
of record, in which shall be record
ed all leases, assignments and other
conveyances of land to be used for
the planting or cultivation of oysters
in accordance with this Act. A set
of clear and simple forms for all SUBJ
sequent conveyances of any kind
shall be prepared by the Commission
er under the direction Of the Attor-
ney- General, and no title shall be
vested in any lessee or any trans
feree of any interest or estate ac-
Iquired under this Act until the con-
veyance or rconveyancing evidencing
such leases or transfers shal! have
been recorded in the Office of the