Chap. 86.—An ACT Declaring the Meaning and Construction of the
twenty-second section of an Act approved April 18th, 1874, chapter
214, entitled an Act for the Preservation of Oysters and to obtain
Revenue for the Privilege of taking them within the Waters of the
Commonwealth.

In force February 8, 1875.

Whereas the governor of this commonwealth, in his annual
message to the general assembly, has asked that the true
meaning and construction of the twenty-second section of
the act approved April eighteenth, eighteen hundred and
seventy-four, entitled an act for the preservation of oysters
and to obtain revenue for the privilege of taking them
within the waters of the commonwealth, shall be declared
by the general assembly ; and whereas he has communicated
the correspondence between himself and the governor of
faryland, in which the governor of Maryland proposes that
, temporary line of division between the two states, pend-
og the decision of the arbitrators as to the true boundary
ine of the states, shall be established; now therefore, .

1. Be it enacted, That the true meaning of the said twen-
y-second section of the said act was to confer upon citizens
f Maryland the privilege of taking oysters in the Potomac
ind Pocomoke rivers, and not in Pocomoke bay or sound.

2. That insisting and declaring that the true line between
his state and the state of Maryland, east of the Chesapeake
ay, is the line known as the Calvert and Scarborough line,
ind that a part of the county of Somerset, claimed by the
state of Maryland, is south of that line, and of right, part of
he territory of Virginia; yet in a spirit of comity and good
will to a sister state, be it further enacted, that the privilege
of taking oysters in Pocomoke bay shall be enjoyed by citi-
zens of Maryland in common with citizens of Virginia, north
of a right line running from Cedar straights to the intersec-
tion of the Calvert and Scarborough line with the Pocomoke
river.

3. The privilege conferred by this act may be withheld at
the pleasure of the general assembly.

4, This act shall be in force from its passage.