Chap. 176.—An ACT to have plats of oyster-planting grounds endorsed “aban-
doned” under certain conditions, and to authorize the renting of such ground.

Approved March 14, 1904.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That each in-
spector of oysters shall, on the first day of July each year, make out a full
list of the parcels of oyster-planting ground rented out in his district,
giving names of renters, number of acres, and location of the same; this
list to be posted at the courthouse of the county or city and at three pub-
lic places in his district; after this list has been posted for thirty days,
the inspector shall take said list, after any corrections he may make, to
the clerk of the circuit court of his county, and the clerk shall examine
all of the recorded plats and make out from the records a list of all plats
not on the list given him by the inspector, showing the names of parties
on said plats, the number of acres in each location, and give said list to
the inspector, who shall post same at the courthouse and! three public
places in his district for thirty days, calling on said parties, mentioned
in said plats, to come forward and pay rent and assert their claims, if
they have any, and after the expiration of thirty days the inspector shall
then report back to the clerk all plats on said list not claimed, and the
clerk is directed to endorse on said recorded plats “abandoned,” and then
the same may be rented as any other planting grounds. __

2. The board of fisheries shall require a copy of this act to be posted at
the courthouse of each county or city and three public places in each in-
spector’s district, on or before the first day of May of each year.

3. The board of fisheries shall allow a reasonable compensation to the
inspector and clerks for services rendered under this act.

4, All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act be, and the same
are hereby, repealed.

5. The emergency existing in this act is to have the plats of oyster-
planting grounds determined and this act carried out by the first day of
September, nineteen hundred and four, as the renting of oyeter-planting
grounds usually commences on the first of September, and this act should
take effect from its passage. .