EDWIN WARFIELD, ESQ., GOVERNOR.

1189

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

CHAP. 711

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

Term of lease.

shall be declared void, and the land shall revert to the State,
and may be leased again in accordance with the provisions
of this Act. 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.
Section 99. In case the survey provided for by this Act

Declared null
and void.

shall not have been completed within one year from the
passage of this Act, then it shall be the duty of the Board
of Shell Fish Commissioners to begin the leasing of barren
bottoms in the manner and upon the terms provided in the
preceding section; provided, that such leasing shall then
commence only in those areas in which the survey provided
for in this Act shall have been completed.
Section 100. For a period of four months after the said

Leasing of
barren
bottoms.

survey shall have been completed, or after any area shall
have been opened to leasing under the preceding sections,
citizens of Maryland residing in any part of the State who,
at the time of the completion of said survey, or at the
respective times of the opening for oyster culture of several
areas, as the case may be, may be owners of land having a
water front upon any part of the said areas so opened to
oyster culture, shall have the exclusive right to rent any
land open to oyster planting under the provisions of this
Act, adjacent to their lands. And for an additional period of
six months, after the expiration of the said period of four
months, all boatmen, residents of this State, who shall be
engaged in the business of dredging, scraping or tonging for

Leasing land
for oyster
culture.