EDWIN WARFIELD, ESQ., GOVERNOR.

605

CHAPTER 341.

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact with amendments Sections

52 and 54 of Article 72 of the Code of Public General Laws,

title "Oysters," and to add three new sections to the said

Article to be known as Sections 8A, 55A and 556, to fol-

low Sections 8 and 55 respectively.

SECTION i. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-

"Oysters."

land, That Sections 52 and 54 of Article 72 of the Code of

Public General Laws of Maryland be and the same are hereby

repealed and re-enacted so as to read as follows :

52. It shall not be lawful for any citizen of Maryland or

Restricting cit-

Virginia to take or catch oysters with a scoop, scrape or dredge

izens of
Maryland and

or any such instrument in the waters of the Potomac river be-

Virginia

tween the 15th day of March and 15 day of October

from taking
oysters at cer-

of each year; it shall not be lawful for any citizen of either

tain seasons.

State to take oysters with tongs from the waters of the Po-

tomac river between April 25 and October i of each year, and

it shall not be lawful for any person to have in possession any

oysters in the waters of the Potomac river between the 25th

day of April and the 1st day of October of each year; every

person found guilty of violating the provisions of this section

shall be fined not less than two hundred and fifty dollars nor

more than five hundred dollars for each offense, and the vessel

by which oysters are illegally taken or which receives oysters

so illegally taken or which has oysters aboard within the limits

of said river within the time specified, shall be held as security

for the payment of the fine hereinbefore mentioned, and be also

subject to a fine of not less than fifty dollars nor more than

one hundred and fifty dollars; and in the event of such fines

Fines.

not being paid within a period of twenty clays then such ves-

sel shall be forfeited and sold; the surplus, after payment of

fines and costs, to be paid to the owner of the boat; one-half

of the fines to go to the informer and one-half to the State.

54. All offenses committed against the provisions of Sections

Offenses pun-
ishable by au-

51, 52 and 53 by persons not citizens and residents as afore-

thorities of

said of either State, may be punished by any of the justices of

either State.

the peace or courts of either State having criminal jurisdiction.

All offenses committed by citizens of either State shall be pun-

ished by such justice of the peace or court having criminal

jurisdiction where the trial of such offenses shall be most con-

venient; the authorities of either State have the right to ex-

amine into the right of any person taking oysters in the Potomac