LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1837.

1259

son, or persons, or authorities in each, now authorized to draw

for and receive their respective quotas of the free school fund,

the respective proportions of the said counties and city, of the

interest derived and to be derived from the said surplus revenue

of the United States.

CHAPTER 291.

AN ACT for the Preservation of Fish and Wild Fowl in the Patuxent and

Wicomico Rivers, and their tributaries.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland,

Erection of

That from and after the passage of this act, it shall not be law-

gill nets
prohibited. t

ful for any persons or person, except the citizens residing in the

counties bordering on said rivers, and their tributaries, or who

may be permitted to do so, by persons owning or occupying

lands on said rivers, or their tributaries, hereafter to erect or

cause to be erected or fixed, in any of the water courses within

this state, which are connected with the Patuxent or Wicomico

rivers, or in either of said rivers, any gill net, seine or other ob-

structions, and every person so offending, and being thereof

convicted before a justice of the peace or magistrates' court of

any county adjoining the water course in which the offence has

been committed, shall forthwith pay the sum of twenty dollars,

Penalty

and he shall moreover be deemed guilty of a nuisance, and the

$20.

justice of the peace or magistrates' court shall cause the obstruc-

tion to be abated ; and in case the offender shall fail to pay the

On failing

fine aforesaid, he shall be committed by said justice of the

to pay.

peace or magistrates' court, to the public jail of the county,

there to remain for thirty days, unless the said fine of twenty

dollars be sooner discharged.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That no person shall hereafter,

Shooting at

in any of the waters of the Patuxent or Wicomico rivers, or

wild fowl
at night

any of their tributary streams, shoot at wild fowl during the

prohibited.

night time with a gun of any description, unless it be from the

land, or a blind fixed on some bar in said waters; nor shall any

Or with

person at any time, either in the day or in the night, shoot any

large gun.

description of gun from skiffs or other boats, or from floats,

which may not be conveniently discharged from the shoulder,

at arm's length, without a rest; and any person convicted of a

violation of this act, before any justice of the peace or magis-

trates' court of any county adjoining the waters or water courses

in which the offence may be committed, shall forthwith surren-

der his gun to the justice of the peace or magistrates' court, who

shall cause the same to be sold, and shall in addition to the for-

Forfeiture.

feiture of the gun as herein provided for, be fined by said jus-

tice of the peace, or magistrates' court, the sum of one hundred

Fine.

dollars for every such violation, and on his failure to pay the

said sum to the said justice of the peace or magistrates' court,