244 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS [Feb. 18

Following this, Hon. George L. Browning offered the fol-
lowing resolution, which was objected to by Mr. Houston, of
Hampton. He stated that crab famines, such as at present,
have come before, particularly in 1871. That for something
like forty years sponge crabs have been caught at Hampton and
apparently had no effect upon the number the following year.
That the supply comes from the ocean. That it would mean
the closing of ten crab factories in Hampton during the
summer. He admitted, however, that if it was necessary to
protect crabs; the sponge crab should be protected rather than
the winter crab. The following resolution was unanimously
adopted:

"Be it resolved, That the Commissions of the States of Mary-
land and Virginia in joint meeting assembled, do earnestly
recommend to the Legislatures of the respective States, to the
end that the crab and crabbing interests of said States may
be conserved, promoted and developed, the vital importance of
enacting a law or laws to prevent the taking or having in one's
possession the sponge crab at any time when the sponge upon
the crab is apparent (the sponge being the eggs or the young
crabs before they have been separated from the mother); the
present Virginia cull laws, of course, not to be abrogated, but
the suggested legislation being in line with cull laws and
the rigid enforcement of such laws. And we further recom-
mend that the Legislature of Maryland enact similar cull
laws to those of Virginia and that both States enact con-
current legislation to the carrying out of the above sugges-
tions. "

Mr. Norris moved that a committee of four—two from each
State—be appointed to draft legislation in accordance with
this resolution and subsequent ones, in order to put the new
concurrent laws into effect. It was further ordered that the
chairman of each State name a committee to draft the new
laws, whereupon Chairman Benson named Senator William
F. Chesley and Delegate Thomas C. Hopkins, and Chairman
Houston named Senator G. Walter Mapp and Robert O. Nor-
ris, Jr. The joint commission then adjourned as guests of
Virginia at a luncheon served by the Chamberlin, covers be-
ing laid for twenty-five.

Promptly at 3 o'clock, the joint commission re-assembled for
business. Senator Benson took the floor and congratulated
the commission upon having agreed upon crab legislation,
but stated that this was not near so important to Maryland
as fish legislation. He reiterated the fact that they had come
to Virginia by invitation and suggested that Virginia take