The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-01-22
NEW LAWS.
Measures to Be Urged BY State Bar
ASsoCiation-LaWs to Protect
Game.
STRINGENT MEASURES PROPOSED

Bar Association held in Baltimore
last week for the purpose of deter
mining what legislation to recon-
mend to the present session of the
Legislature on behalf of the asso-
citation, it was decided to urge
the passage of law making the
court the judge of the law in Grim
inal cases, leaving the jury judge
of the facts only. Under the pres
ent law the jury is the judge of
both the law and the facts in GRIM
inal cases.
1t was also decided to recon-
mend the appointment of a COM
mission of. five lawyers for the re-
vision Of the criminal law of the
State, the commission to report at
the session of the Legislature in
1908, aud to be paid for its services
and expenses.
1t was also decided to recon-
mend that the law for the punish
ment of bribery be amended so as
to make the person bribed or at
tempted to be bribed a competent
witness against the bride giver,
and to make him immune from
prosecution when compelled to
testify.
The annual meeting of the asso-
citation will be held at Annapolis
on April 6, z and s.
Bills Endorsed By the Game and Fish Protec-
tive Association.
Three bills affecting the game
laws of the State have been in
dorsed by the executive committee
of the Maryland State Game and
Fish Protective Association, which
will make radical changes in the
laws if passed by the Legislature.
The bills have reference to the gen.
eral game law, to the law regulat-
ing the shooting of ducks on the
Susquehanna flats and to the game
warden law.
The first bill provides that all
residents of the State who desire to
shoot game shall be required to
take out a license, paying 81 for
the license and 25 cents to the
clerk of the court of the county as
a fee. Non residents are required
to pay $40 and so cents fee to the
clerk of the court.
No gunner is allowed to kill more
than 15 quail or 100 reedbirds~W
any one day. All game is declared
to be the property of the State, and
game birds are defined.
To Regulate Duck Shooting On the Flats.
In the bill looking to the regula-
tion of ducking on the Susquehanna
flats, the same provisions now in
force are mentioned, except that
the navigable waters of North East
river are included. The season is
made the same as under the pres
ent law-November 1 to April 1
for the flats and to April 10 for
the remainder of the State.
There is to be no night shooting
and no artificial lights used. The
boats may start for the grounds
after 5 o'clock in the afternoon on
the day preceding hunting days.
They are not to expose any light
after anchoring though, and no
rowboats or other boats are to be
sent over the grounds before 5
o'clock in the afternoon. The
sneakboat is defined to be boat
with fiat bottom, not over Is feet
in length and propelled by oars
only, and it is made unlawful to
shoot from any other kind of boat.
1t is made up Sui to trap or net
water fowl a to use any gun
larger than 10 bore. Licenses
for residents are fixed at So
and all other licenses for either
bushwhackers or boxes are fixed
at S15.
The open season for quail and
rabbit is to be from November l to
January 1. For other game it re-
mains as in the present law. 1t is
unlawful to kill birds or game when
the ground is covered with snow,
on Election Day, or on Sunday, or
to have any game in ones possess
sion on those days. The provisions
Of the bill are stringent in regard
TO the killing of non-game birds or
the destroying of the nests of birds,
and the provisions against trapping
Or netting are also stringent.
1t is also provided that no game
shall be killed except with gun
which is habitually raised at arms
length from the shoulder. No
game is to be killed one hour after
sunset or one hour before sunrise.
No ferrets or weasels are to be used
in hunting. The bill provides that
dogs unaccompanied by the owner
\ +