524

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

such person shall be arrested to try such person, and, on con-
viction, to condemn said boat or vessel, and sell the same on

Penalty.

five days' notice, and tine the said offender a sum not less than
tive dollars nor more than twenty-five dollars, for each and
every offence; and the said justice of the peace shall pay over
one-half of said fines and forfeitures to the informer, and the
other half to the school board of said county or city.

Provisions at
to Potomac.

51. It shall not be lawful for any person to take or catch
oysters in any manner whatever in the waters of the Potomac
river, unless he be a citizen of Maryland or Virginia, and shall
have been a resident of the State of which he is a citizen for
twelve months immediately preceding. Any one violating this
section shall be subject to a fine of five hundred dollars; any
vessel in which oysters are taken contrary to this section shall
be forfeited and sold, one-half of the proceeds to go to the
State where convicted, and the other half to the informer.

When unlaw-
ful to take
oysters in
Potomac.

52. It shall not be lawful for any citizen of Maryland or
Virginia to take or catch oysters with a scoop, scrape or
dredge, or any such instrument, in the waters of the Potomac
river betwen the fifteenth day of March and the fifteenth
day of October of each year; it shall not be lawful for any
citizen of either State to take oysters with tongs from the
waters of Potomac river, between April the twenty-fifth and
September the first of each year; and it shall not be lawful
for any person to have in possession any oysters in the waters
of the Potomac river between the twenty-fifth day of April
and the first day of September of each year; every person

Penalty.

found guilty of violating any of the provisions of this section
shall be fined not less than two hundred and fifty dollars nor
more than five hundred dollars for each offence; and the
vessel by which oysters are illegally taken or which receives
oysters so illegally taken, or which has oysters on board with-
in the limits of said river within the time specified, shall be
held as security for the payment of the fine hereinbefore
mentioned, and be subject also to a fine of not less than fifty
dollars nor more than one hundred and fifty dollars; and in
the event of such fines not being paid within a period of
twenty days, then such vessel shall be forfeited and sold; the
surplus alter payment of fines and costs to be paid to the
owner of the boat; one-half of fines to go to the informer and
the other half to the State.

53. It shall be lawful for citizens of the State of Maryland
and Virginia to take oysters in the Potomac river after com-