THE BIRD STUDY BOOK 



tinually went on in the various legislatures when the 

 subject was brought up. This gentleman, George 

 Shiras, 3rd, planned to cut the Gordian knot by turn- 

 ing over to the Federal Government the entire sub- 

 ject of making laws regarding the killing of migratory 

 game birds. 



In December that year he introduced a bill in 

 Congress covering his ideas on the subject. This 

 radical proposition created merriment in certain 

 legal circles. Was it not written in the statutes of 

 nearly every state that the birds and game belong 

 to the people of the state? Therefore what had the 

 Government to do with the subject? Furthermore, 

 were there not numerous court decisions upholding 

 the authority of the states in their declarations of 

 ownership of the birds and game? Others saw in 

 this move only another attempt toward increasing 

 the power of the central government, and depriving 

 the states further of their inalienable rights. This 

 remarkable document was discussed to some extent 

 but nothing was done. Four years later Congress- 

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