292

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

owner or holder thereof, but the administrator or executor of such

owner or holder shall hare two years from the time of the-death

of said owner or holder, for the purpose of removing and selling

the oysters that may be thereon at the time of the death of said

owner; after which the said lot shall be open to location and

appropriation as hereinbefore set forth; provided, however, that

no non-resident of Somerset county shall be entitled to avail him-

self of the provisions of this act, whether he be sole or part owner

of any land in said county; and, provided further, that under no

But one lot

construction of this act shall one person be entitled to own more

than one such lot of five acres; and, provided further, that all

lots located and appropriated under this act, shall be improved

by the actual and bona fide planting, bedding and sowing oysters,
shells or other shell-fish within one year of the date of the ap-

propriation of the same by the owner thereof, and if the said

owner shall neglect or fail to so improve his said lot within said

period, then his title thereto shall be void, and the said lot shall

be open to re-location under this act; and, provided further, that

after oysters have been bedded and sown on any lot, and taken

therefrom once or of teller, if at any time the said lot shall be per-

mitted to be and remain without other oysters, shells or shell-fish

having been bedded or sown thereon by the owner thereof f or the

space of two years, then the title to said lot shall be null and

Proviso

void, and the same shall be open to re-location under this act;

and no owner or owners of any lot located under the provisions

of this act shall be permitted to lease or rent the same to any

non-resident of Somerset county, the question of the improvement

of said lots under this section to be determined by said commis-

sioners.

D. All location of such waters or grounds under such waters

of Somerset county, to which this act is applicable, heretofore

made for the purpose of planting, bedding or sowing oysters

under the laws existing at the date of the passage of this act are

Null and

hereby declared null and void; but whenever any person or per-

void.

sons may have located or appropriated a lot of five acres under

such existing laws, said person or persons shall have priority of

right for the term of one year from the date of the passage of

this act, of locating said five acres under the provisions of this act,

but nothing herein shall be construed to disturb or effect the title

to any oysters which may have been bedded, sown or grown on any

lot located and appropriated before the passage of this act; pro-

Proviso.

vided, however, that whenever any person or persons shall desire to
locate five acres under the provisions of this act, which said five

acres may have been located under the existing laws, the same shall

not be open to location and appropriation unless the said water or

bottom thereunder is a subject of location under the provisions of

section A of this act; but whenever by the previous location and