8 -PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL FISHERY CONGRESS, HELD AT 
TAMPA, FLORIDA, JANUARY 19-24, 1898. 
Wednesday, January 19. 
The convention met at noon in the casino of the Tampa Bay Hotel and was 
called to order by Hon. M. E. Gillett, mayor of Tampa. 
On motion of Hon. S. G. McLendon, of Georgia, Mr. Gillett was made temporary 
chairman, and on motion of Maj. A. A. Wiley, of Alabama, Mr. H. Cunningham, 
secretary of the Tampa Board of Trade, was elected temporary secretary. 
On motion of Mr. William E. Meehan, of Pennsylvania, the chair appointed the 
following committee on credentials and permanent organization, the chairman being 
subsequently added to the committee : Mr. W. E. Meehan, of Pennsylvania, chairman ; 
Hon. S. G. McLendon, of Georgia; Maj. A. A. Wiley, of Alabama; Dr. H. M. Smith, 
of Washington; Mr. F. Q. Brown, of Massachusetts, and Gen. Patrick Houston, of 
Florida. 
On motion of Major Wiley the following resolution was adopted: 
Resolved, That no resolution will be considered by this Congress that is not germane to the call 
of Governor Bloxham, and that all resolutions shall be referred, without debate, to the committee on 
resolutions, when duly raised by this Congress. 
The chairman announced that it was expected that at this morning’s session 
Governor Bloxham would deliver an address of welcome and that the work of the 
convention would begin, but owing to the fact that a great many delegates, who 
expected to be here, were en route and would arrive on incoming trains, it was 
thought best to defer further action until to-morrow. 
The Congress then adjourned until 11 o’clock a. in., January 20. 
Thursday, January 20. 
The Congress was called to order by Temporary Chairman Gillett. The secretary 
then read the following call of Governor Bloxham for the Congress : 
Executive Mansion, Tallahassee, Fla., April 14, 1897. 
Impressed with the importance of propagating and protecting the fish in the waters of the United 
States, and the necessity of devising means and formulating methods to save from total extinction 
many varieties of valuable food-fish, we have deemed it proper to issue a call for a National Fishery 
Congress to assemble at Tampa, Fla., on the 19th day of January, 1898. 
The National Fishery Commission of the United States will take a prominent part in the proceed- 
ings of this assembly. 
We respectfully request the governors of the various States of the Union, and the fishery com- 
missioners of the same, to appoint delegates to this Congress, which should command the earnest 
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