Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-02-14

sworn TO by each and every petitioner.
ana addressed 10 the circuit court of
such county, TO which the applicant for
such block, or blocks, and the Board of
tlsheries shall be made parties defen-
dant, alleging that in one or more an
plications so applied for-specifying such
block, or blocks, by number and county
are natural oyster beds, rock, or
shoals, as defined, declared and de-
termined by this act; whereupon the
clerk OF said court shall dock such peti-
ton without costs or fees; whereupon at
the next term of the said court it shall
hear such evidence as may be adduced
by the petitioners and by the applicant
and Board of Fisheries and determine
whether or not the block, or blocks,
lawfully applied for, is natural rock
under the definition of this act, and the
decision of such court shall be final and
binding upon all parties to such petition.
In the event that such court shall
determine any block, or blocks, applied
for are not natural rock, as determined,
declared and defined in this act, the
Board of Fisheries may proceed to as
sign such block, or blocks, as are not
natural rock to the applicant.
And after such block, or blocks. shall
have been assigned, all proceedings con-
| corning such block, or blocks, so as
| signed shall be in conformity and sub
ject to the provisions of other general
oyster laws not in conflict herewith; and
the applicant to whom any such block,
or blocks. are assigned shall pay there
for to the oyster inspector of the proper
district rent for the land assigned to
him at the rate of one dollar per acre
for each and every year of its rental, to
be payable on the first day of September
of each year; and so long as he con-
tlnues to pay said rent he shall have
the exclusive right to occupy the said
land for the period of twenty years.
All oysters, or seed oysters, which shall
be secured by the Board of Fisheries in
Its examination of any of the said blocks
in determining whether such blocks be
natural oyster rock, beds, or shoals, as
defined in section one, shall be sold by
the Board. and the proceeds thereof,
together with the moneys paid by the
applicant, shall be accounted for in the
| same manneras other funds coming into
the hands of the Board of Fisheries. In
the event that more than one resident
or this commonwealth shall lawfully
apply for the same block, or blocks. the
SAID Board shall first ascertain whether
or not the block, or blocks, so applied
for are natural rocks, beds, or shoals.
within the definition and declaration of
this act, and if the Board determine
that the same is not, in fact, natural
rock, beds, or shoals, it shall be the dutv
OF the said Board to notify the oyster
inspector OF the district wherein such
BLOCK, or blocks, ARE located to
assign the same to the party whose
application was first lawfully filed with
the Board No person to whom anv
block, or blocks, in this section referred
20 shall have been assigned, shall reas-
sign or sublet such block, or blocks. to
any other person, unless the Board of
tlsheries shall consent thereto: and in
the event of such consent, the Board
shall so certify to the oyster inspector
OF the district wherein such block or
blocks, may be located, and anv such
attempted reassignment or subletting.
without the consent of the Board. shall
be wholly void, and such block, or blocks.
wealth.
The Board of Fisheries is herebv an
thorlzed, out of any funds now. or here
after, under its control. to use sncb snn,
or sums of money as NAV be necessary
and proper to secure and prepare the
charts, maps, and plats required under
the provisions of section one of this act
COMMISSION OF FISHERIES BILL.
"A bill that has thrown one or two
weakened souls into compton, max
ing 'em see sights through distorted
lenses, is the bill to change the name of
the Board Of Fisheries to the Commits
sion OF Fisheries. Three purposes. and
three only, comprise the object of the
bill, viz: CD to make the Board de-
partment of government las was origi-
nally intended, so that suits for iniunc-
ton and other processes might be made
against the department and not individ-
uals, as now is the case, saving to the
State hundreds of dollars in members
travelling expenses); (2) to increase
reasonably the salaries of chairman and
secretary (as all fair minds have advo-
cated) and make one appropriation
$3.50, OOO do for expenses of the navy
and the Board, instead of making a
number of smaller appropriations Qast
year $685. was appropriated, and
SS3, 900 was required to keep the service
goipg); and (3) to bring inspectors en-
tlrely under control of the Board, which
they are not now, being at liberty to
assign ground and levy any fines with
out being accountable to the Board. The
present Boards term does not expire
till April LIST, 1910, but the Board adj
vises that its term be cut short one
month, in order that its successors NAV
go into office at the same time the an
nual appropriation becomes available on
March LIST, 1910. The emergency"
clause was necessary as all appropria-
lions begin March 1st for State
The full text of the
bill follows, and a comparison
with the present Board of Fish
cries bill and the appropriation bills
will show no great departure and no
Interior or hidden motive:
by Senator Sale) Be it enacted Inv |
the General Assembly of Virginia. That |
an act approved February seventh |
hundred and ninety-eipht. en-,
titled IAN act to create the Board of |
FlsherieS OF Virginia and define its duties |
and fix the salary of its members. - as |
amended by acts approved, respectively. |
FEBRUARY twenty-one, nineteen hundred. |
and February fifteenth, nineteen hun |
dred and one, be amended and re-enacted |
so as to read as follows:
The name of the Board of Fisheries
OF Virginia is hereby changed to the
Commission of Fisheries and the present
members of said Board of Fisheries are
hereby continued as members of the
said Commission of Fisheries until
March first, nineteen hundred and ten.
and the present chairman of said Board |