774 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 353

spect all oysters in the district to which he is assigned by the
Commissioner of Fisheries, and upon the inspection of any
such oysters, he shall make a certificate of the number of
bushels in triplicate, one of which shall be given to the pur-
chaser, one to the seller and the other retained by the in-
spector. An inspection charge of 2c per bushel is hereby
levied upon all oysters caught within the limits of the State
of Maryland, unloaded from vessels at the place in Maryland
where said oysters are to be no further shipped in bulk in
vessels, to be charged equally to the buyer and seller, but to
be paid weekly to the Comptroller of the State Treasury or
his agent by the buyers; the certificate retained by the in-
spector shall be mailed by him weekly to the Comptroller or
his agent and in case the amounts of money shown to be due
be not paid in one week thereafter to the Comptroller or his
agent, which is hereby required to be done, the properties of
the parties so indebted may be levied on and sold by the
Comptroller or his agent as in cases of taxes in default,
without other process of law; the said inspection charge of
2c per bushel hereby levied is also made a charge on oysters
caught within the limits of the State of Maryland and sold
by commission merchants and others selling by less than the
cargo; and also an inspection charge of six cents per barrel
containing not more than three bushels of oysters caught
within the limits of the State of Maryland; on oysters caught
within the limits of the State of Maryland contained in bags
an inspection charge of four cents per bag containing not
more than two bushels; and all transportation companies
carrying oysters in the shell caught within the limits of the
State of Maryland, consigned to Baltimore, shall furnish to
the inspector or collector of oyster tax, a copy of their mani-
fest showing the number of bushels on board on arrival of
steamer and to whom consigned, and the inspectors are charged
with the duty of seeing that the proper returns are made for
the purpose of this section by such commission merchant or
retailer, and in performance of their duty the said inspectors
are authorized and directed to visit places where oysters
caught within the limits of the State of Maryland in less
than cargo lots are sold, and get from such sellers a state-
ment under oath as to the number of bushels sold from time
to time and return to the inspectors a certificate thereof to
be forwarded to the Comptroller as required in the case of
certificates for cargo, and the payments of the amounts so
found to be due shall be similarly enforced. All oysters
found within the State of Maryland shall be presumed to
have been caught within the limits of the State of Maryland
and the burden of proof shall be upon any one claiming to
the contrary to establish his said claim by clear and satis-