1254 ARTICLE 27

body or carcass of any dog, horse, cow, hog, cat or other animal whatso-
ever, or shall drown therein any animal whatsoever, or shall place, cast or
throw therein any substance whatsoever, calculated to render the waters
of. said river impure or unfit for use, he shall forfeit and pay a sum of not
less than twenty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, one-half to
the informer and the other half to the State, to be recovered by action of
debt or indictment in the county wherein the offense was committed.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 479. 1912, sec. 432. 1904, seq. 380. 1888, sec. 243. 1734, ch. 16, sec. 3.

555. No person shall build any weir or hedge across any river, creek
or branch below any public landing place, so as to prejudice or dam up the
channel, or to obstruct the passage of boats, on pain of forfeiting twenty-
five dollars, to be recovered in the proper court by action of debt or by
indictment.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 480. 1912, sec. 433. 1904, sec. 381. 1888, sec. 244. 1888, ch. 362. 1900,

ch. 577. 1906, ch. 426.

556. It shall not be lawful for any person, to dig, dredge, take and
carry away any sand, gravel or other material from the bed of any of the
navigable rivers, creeks or branches of this State, under a penalty of a
fine not exceeding three hundred ($300) dollars, and confiscation of the
boat, vessel, dredge and implements used in. digging, dredging and carry-
ing away such sand, gravel, or other material, and imprisonment in the
county jail for a period not exceeding six months, in the discretion of the
court; one-half of said fine and one-half of the proceeds of the sale of such
confiscated boat, vessel, dredge and implements, to be paid by the sheriff to
the informer, and the other half to the commissioners of public schools for
the counties; provided, however, that it shall be lawful for any riparian
owner of lands bordering on said rivers, creeks or branches, or for any
person or corporation with whom such owner shall have a contract in writ-
ing for the purpose, or for the agents, servants or employees of such person
or corporation to dig, dredge, take and carry away sand, gravel, or other
material from the bed of said river opposite said lands from highwater
mark on the shore bordering on said lands to the outer line of the channel
nearest said shore, subject to the laws of the United States relating to
navigation; and provided further, that none of the provisions of this sec-
tion shall be deemed to interfere in any manner with the provisions of any
law of the State relating to the taking and catching of fish and oysters.

Right conferred by this section applies during ownership and passes to succeeding
owner; right of one under contract with owner ceases upon transfer of ownership.
Such right is in nature of license or privilege revocable by Legislature. Smoot S. & G.
Co. v. Columbia Corp., 146 Md. 387.

Common law changed by this section. Question of application of acts of 1900, ch. 577,
and 1906, ch. 426, not passed upon where certain conveyances locate a farm on Piscata-
way Creek, an arm of Potomac, but plat locates it opposite Fort Hunt, Va., so that it
might possibly be regarded as bordering on Potomac; also because proposed licensor
did not own farm but merely had a life estate in it. Potomac Company v. Smoot,
108 Md. 63.

For abolition of informer's fees, see art. 38, sec. 3.

Robbery.

An: Code, 1924, sec. 481. 1912, sec. 434. 1904, sec. 382. 1888, sec. 245. 1809, ch. 138, sec. 6.

557. Every person convicted of the crime of robbery, or as accessory
thereto before the fact, shall restore the thing robbed or taken to the owner,