1032

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

bar or bed, wherever it may appear, is to be construed to mean

shelly bottoms and where oysters grow, and where persons

have resorted to within the past twelve months prior to taking

up said lot, and that three months' peaceful possession of such

location shall constitute a good and sufficient title thereto;

should anyone within three months be charged with locating

any natural bar or bed, the question may at once be submitted

to the Judges of the Circuit Court of Calvert County, who shall,

after due notice, hear the testimony and decide the case; but

unless complaint is made to the Circuit Court of Calvert

County within three months from date of locating the lot, the

person locating or appropriating the same shall have an in-

disputed right to said grounds during his or her natural life,

and the Circuit Court of Calvert County shall not have juris-

diction to entertain any proceedings to set aside said location

of lot; and, provided, further, that all persons locating or ap-

propriating such five acre lot, shall pay an annual tax of one

Annual tax.

dollars for each and every acre so appropriated or taken up,

the said tax to be paid annually on or before the first day of

July in each year for the next ten years, and after the year 1914

the said lots or appropriated grounds shall be subject to such

changes in the rate of annual tax as may be agreed upon by

the Board of County Commissioners of Calvert County; pro-

vided, said tax rate shall not exceed the rate of three dollars

per acre for any one year, and in the event of the annual tax

not having been paid to the County Commissioners of Cal-

vert County on or before July ist of each year then the said

lots to revert in common to the free use of the citizens of Cal-

vert County. The taxes received from rental of lots or ap-

propriated grounds, when paid to the County Commissioners,

shall be applied to permanent repairs of the public roads in

Calvert County; and, be it further provided, that any person

Taking* oyster
from located

or persons who may be convicted of taking or catching oysters
from any grounds so located, and knowing the same to have

grounds.

been so located, shall, upon conviction before the Circuit

Court in Calvert County, be sentenced to the House of Cor-

rection for not less than one year, nor more than two years.

Prior rights.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That nothing in this Act shall

affect or repeal the rights of those who had located such five

acre lots prior to the passage of this Act; provided, the said

owner of the five acre lots previously located shall pay annually

the tax as provided for in Section 46.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That this Act shall take effect

from the date of its passage.

Approved April 12, 1904.