ART. 72. ] SHELL FISH COMMISSIONERS. 127

formance of their duties, and the deputy commander in each
of the several districts of this State shall also be subject to the
control and direction of the said commissioners during the
closed season for taking and catching oysters with rakes and
tongs during the time the said commissioners shall be engaged
in the respective districts in locating natural oyster beds, bars
and rocks, and shall give the said commissioners every assist-
ance in their power.

1906, ch. 711.

98. After the survey provided for herein shall have been
completed, it shall be the duty of the board of shell fish com-
missioners to lease, in the name of the State Maryland, tracts
or parcels of land beneath the waters of this State, whether
within the limits of the counties or elsewhere, in the area to be
opened for oyster culture, according to these provisions; pro-
vided, that no tract so leased, if situated within the territorial
limits of any county in this State, shall contain less than one
acre of land, and if situated in any other place, no tract so
leased shall contain less than five acres. It shall be the duty of
said commissioners to require that the tract so leased shall be
as nearly rectangular as is convenient. It shall be the duty of
the said commissioners to demand from each lessee payment of
the rent each year in advance. No person shall be permitted by
lease, assignment or in any other manner to acquire a greater
amount of land than ten acres situated within the territorial limits
of any of the counties, or one hundred acres in any other place.
Leases shall be made only to residents of Maryland. The terms
of such leases shall be twenty years, and the annual rent reserved
to the State shall be one dollar per acre for each of the first
two years of said term of twenty years; two dollars per acre
for the third year; three dollars per acre for the fourth year;

four dollars per acre for the fifth year, and five dollars per acre
during the remainder of the term. If any part of the rent
reserved under such leases shall remain unpaid for more than
six months after the same becomes due, such lease or leases
shall be declared void, and the land shall revert to the State,
and may be leased again in accordance with these provisions.
The said commissioners may, at the request of any lessee, if it
shall appear equitable so to do, upon cause shown in writing,
cancel his lease as to the whole or a part of the lands leased.