Chap. 199.—An ACT to authorize the board of fisheries to procure for use in its
office a complete list of persons holding oyster planting ground by assignment
of record in the clerk’s offices, and the number of ‘acres held by each, and the
number of acres occupied for oyster planting not of record in said clerk’s offices.

Approved March 15, 1904.

Whereas, the report of the board of fisheries shows that during the
sixty-six months, from: the creation of said board up to September thir-
tieth, nineteen hundred and three, there was appropriated the sum of
twenty-two thousand dollars for salaries and expenses of said board, and
only twenty thousand two hundred and: fifty-three dollars and fifty-three
cents was expended for said purposes, and it being of vital importance to
a proper execution of the law that the board of fisheries should have cer-
tain information, the procurement of which will necessitate the expendi-
ture of money not specifically authorized by the act creating said board ;
therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the board of
fisheries is hereby authorized and empowered to employ a competent per-
son, or persons, to obtain from the clerk’s offices of the various counties
in which oyster-planting ground is assigned and occupied a correct record
of the amount of ground held by each individual of record: in said offices,
and of each person holding planting ground, which record shall be kept
in the office of the board of fisheries. If any planting ground is held, the
assignment of which is not recorded, the names of the parties holding the
same, together with the number of acres held by each, shall also be ob-
tained and recorded.

2. Each inspector shall, immediately upon the assignment of any
oyster-planting ground, notify the secretary of the board of fisheries of
the person to whom assigned, and the number of acres contained in said
assignment, which shall be entered up by said secretary as part of the
oyster-planting ground in said district. :

On the first day of August of each year the clerk of the county in each
county in which there is oyster-planting ground shall make out and cer-
tify to the board: of fisheries a list of all assignments of oyster-planting
ground recorded in his office during the twelve months preceding, giving
the names of the parties to whom assigned and the number of acres in
each assignment.

3. Each inspector shall be charged upon the books of the board of
fisheries with the rental due upon all of the ground reported assigned
and occupied, subject to correction by the board of fisheries, if improperly
recorded.

4. To carry out the provisions of this act there is hereby appropriated
out of the treasury a sum not to exceed seventeen hundred and forty-six
dollars and forty-seven cents, the unexpended balance appropriated for
the use of the board of fisheries during the sixty-six months ending Sep-
tember thirtieth, nineteen hundred and three.

5. There being an emergency demanding the enactment of this law at
once, in order that the interests of the State may be better protected, this
act shall be in force from its passage.