Report of the Board of Shell Fish Commissioners. 137 
in accordance with the provisions of this Act. The said Com- 
missioners may at the request of any lessee, if it shall appear 
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 Commissioners to begin the leasing of barren bot- 
toms in the manner, and upon the terms provided in the pre- 
ceding section, provided that such leasing shall then com- 
mence 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 
survey shall have been completed, or after any area shall 
have been opened to leasing under the preceding sections, 
citizens of Maryland, 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 
months, after the expiration of the said period of four months 
all boatmen, residents of this State, who shall be engaged in 
the business of dredging, scraping or tonging for oysters at 
the time of the completion of the said survey, or at the 
respective times of the opening for oyster culture of several 
areas, or if said survey shall be completed, or the said areas 
shall be opened to oyster culture during the closed season for 
dredging, scraping or tonging, as the case may be, then the 
persons so engaged at the end of the last dredging, scraping 
or tonging season, shall have the like exclusive right in the 
order of their respective application, as the same may be 
received and opened by the Commissioners, to rent any ad- 
jacent lands, provided that in no event shall any such land 
owner, boatman or any other person, be permitted to rent or 
acquire more than ten acres, or one hundred acres, as the 
case may be, dependent upon the situation of the land which 
is leased or acquired; and provided further, that no such 
riparian land owner, as is mentioned in this section, shall be 
entitled to rent the amount of ten acres, or one hundred acres, 
as the case may be, unless the water front of the land so 
