HENRY LLOYD, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

purchase of oyster shells to be planted or sown
in the waters of the Chesapeake bay during
the months of May and June, in such place as
the Commander may determine, for the pur-
pose of catching spat and experimenting in

551

the propagation of oysters, and that the Com-
mander shall make a return of his work and
an itemized account of his expenditure of said
amount to the Comptroller, and shall give
notice of the location of the grounds so sown
by him, in at least three newspapers published
in Baltimore city, for at least four weeks before
the opening of the oyster season.

SEC 2. And be it enacted. That the grounds
so sown and advertised, shall be closed as long
as he shall deem proper by the Commander of
the Oyster Police Force, designating the same
by buoys and other visible marks and bounds,
and by giving notice of said closing in such
newspaper or newspapers as he may deem
proper, and warning all persons against tak-
ing oysters thereon; and until the said Com-
mander shall remove said buoys and other

Purchase of
oyster shells.

visible marks and bounds, and give notice of
the opening thereof, it shall be unlawful for
any one to take or catch oysters on said
grounds; any one found guilty of taking or
catching oysters on said grounds, contrary to
the provisions of this act, shall be deemed
guilty of a felony, and on conviction thereof,
shall be fined not less than fifty nor more than
five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned in the
Penitentiary for not less than three months
and not more than one year, at the discretion
of the Court trying the same; or in default of
the arrest of the party or parties engaged in
taking said oysters unlawfully, the boat or
vessel shall be forfeited, and the Court may

Marks.

order the boat or vessel so used in taking oys-
ters on said grounds unlawfully, to be sold
on complaint and proof of a violation of the
law being made before said Court, and the
proceeds, after paying the expenses of arrest
and sale, shall be paid to the Comptroller to
the credit of the Oyster Fund.

Penalty.