n8 Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners. 



less than five acres. It shall be the duty of said Commissioners to 

 require that the tracts so leased shall be as nearly rectangular as is 

 convenient. It shall be the duty of the said Commissioners to de- 

 mand from each lessee payment of the rent each year in advance. 

 No person shall be permitted, by lease, assignment, or in any other 

 manner, to acquire a greater amount of land than ten acres situated 

 within the territorial limits of any of the counties, or one hundred 

 acres in any other place. Leases shall be made only to residents 

 of Maryland. The term of such leases shall be twenty years, and 

 the annual rent reserved to the State shall be one dollar per acre 

 for each of the first two years of said term of twenty years; two 

 dollars per acre for the third year; three dollars per acre for the 

 fourth year; 'four dollars per acre for the fifth year; and five dol- 

 lars per acre during the remainder of the term. If any part of the 

 rent reserved under such leases shall remain unpaid for more than 

 six months, after the same becomes due, such lease or leases shall 

 be declared void, and the land shall revert to the State, and may be 

 leased again in accordance with the provisions of this Act. The 

 said Commissioners may at the request of any lessee, if it shall ap- 

 pear equitable so to do, upon the cause shown in writing, cancel 

 his lease as to the whole or a part of the lands leased. 



Section 99. In case the survey provided for by this Act shall 

 not have been completed within one year from the passage of this 

 Act, then it shall be the duty of the Board of Shell Fish Commis- 

 sioners to begin the leasing of barren bottoms in the manner, and 

 upon the terms provided in the preceding section, provided that 

 such leasing shall then commence only in those areas in which the 

 survey provided for in this Act shall have been completed. 



Section 100. For a period of four months after the said sur- 

 vey shall have been completed, or after any area shall have been 

 opened to leasing under the preceding sections, citizens of Mary- 

 land, residing in any part of the State, who, at the time of the 

 completion of said survey, or at the respective times of the opening 

 for oyster culture of several areas, as the case may be, may be 

 owners of land having a water front upon any part of the said 

 areas so opened to oyster culture, shall have the exclusive right to 

 rent any land opened to oyster planting under the provisions of this 

 Act, adjacent to their lands. And for an additional period of six 



