all of the products thereof shall be, continue and remain the property of the State of Texas except so far as their use shall be permitted by the laws of this State. So far as this use shall relate to the fish and oyster industry the State Fish and Oyster Commissioner shall have control thereof according to the authority vested in him by the fish and oyster laws of this State. It shall be the duty of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner to execute these laws and in their execution he shall have and exercise the powers given to sheriffs by the laws of this State.

Article 2514. For the purpose of protecting the fish and improving the natural oyster reefs and protecting both the natural reefs and private oyster beds and to carry out the fish and oyster laws of the State of Texas and as one of the conditions on which the State consents to the taking or removing of fish from her waters, or to the fishing or removal. of oysters from her natural reefs, or the use or rental of her water bottoms for oyster propagating purposes, there shall be and is hereby levied a special tax of one-tenth of one cent per pound on all fish, turtle, terrapin and shrimp taken for market from the public coast waters within the jurisdiction of this State and a tax of two (2) cents per barrel on each and every barrel of oysters gathered from the said waters of this State, whether from the natural reefs or private oyster beds, for sale or shipment; provided, that oysters taken from any waters for bedding purposes shall not be subject to this tax until again taken up for sale or shipment. This special tax shall be paid to the Fish and Oyster Commissioner or his deputy, by the person bringing said fish, turtle, terrapin, shrimp or oysters to market, whether he be the person who fished said products or his agent, before he shall be allowed to sell same or consign same to any other party for sale, shipment or storage. When this special tax has been paid it shall be the duty of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner or his deputy receiving the tax to give a receipt for same, together with a permit authorizing the holder thereof to dispose of the products on which the special tax has been paid. A duplicate. of which receipt and permit shall be retained in the office of said Commissioner issuing same. This permit shall be given by the person delivering said products, to the person firm or corporation. to whom the products mentioned therein shall be sold or delivered for sale, shipment or storage. Any fish, turtle, terrapin, or oysters found in the possession of any packer, buyer or commission man for which he cannot show the States permit for the disposition of these products so found shall continue the property of the State and may be seized by the Fish and Oyster Commissioner or any of his deputies and sold, the proceeds thereof to go to the fish and oyster fund of the State.

It shall be the duty of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner and his deputies to enforce the payment of the special tax herein provided for and as far as practicable to inspect all the products so taxed and to verify the weights and measures thereof; and the Fish and Oyster Commissioner is hereby authorized to formulate such rules and regulations as he may deem most expedient to accomplish the duties above set forth; provided, such rules and regulations shall conform to the Constitution and laws of the State of Texas.

Article 2515. The Fish and Oyster Commissioner shall keep a record book which shall be well bound and in it shall be recorded all certificates

issued for the location of private oyster beds, showing the date of certificate and application, when and how the applications were executed and state the manner in which the bottoms were examined. He shall also keep a record of all licenses, special tax, rents for private locations and any and all other collections and disbursements in and from his office. He shall also keep an account with each and every person, firm or corporation holding certificates for the location of private oyster beds. in this State, showing the amounts received as rents, etc., as hereafter prescribed. Said records shall be public and those containing location certificates shall be admitted as evidence as prescribed in Article 2552 of the Revised Civil Statutes.

Article 2516. The Commissioner shall make on the 31st day of August of each year, or as soon thereafter as practicable, not later than October 1st of each year, a report to the Governor showing the condition of the fish and oyster industry. This report shall contain the number and class of all boats engaged in the fish and oyster trade; the number, place and acreage of locations of private oyster beds and the amounts received therefor, the number of licenses, special tax and all other amounts collected from whatever source and the disbursements thereof as provided for in this Act with such observations and remarks as pertain to the industry; and failing to make such report within the time specified the said Commissioner may, in the discretion of the Governor, be dismissed from his office.

Article 2518c. Out of the funds collected for register certificates, licenses, tax on fish, turtle terrapin, shrimp and oysters and fees and rents for locating private oyster beds and any others that may be prescribed the deputy fish and oyster commissioners along the coast shall be paid by the Fish and Oyster Commissioner the amount allowed them, which shall be as follows:

Four special deputies who shall have jurisdiction over the entire coast but subject to the orders of the Commissioner, an amount not to exceed $600.00 per annum each.

One deputy at Sabine Pass, $50.00 per month. Two deputies at Galveston, $50.00 per month each. One deputy at Velasco, $50.00 per month. One deputy at Matagorda $50.00 per month. One deputy at Palacios City, $50.00 per month. One deputy at Port Lavaca $50.00 per month. One deputy at Rockport, $50.00 per month. One deputy at Corpus Christi $50.00 per month. One deputy at Point Isabel $50.00 per month.

Said deputies to be paid at the end of each month out of the collections above named and any balance above the amount so paid out for the services of the deputies along the coast shall be paid into the State treasury to the credit of the fish and oyster fund, but in no instance shall the State be liable for the payment of said deputies.

All certificates issued by the Fish and Oyster Commissioner for the location of private oyster beds under the laws of 1895, passed by the Twenty-fourth Legislature, are hereby validated, and the Fish and Oyster Commissioner is hereby authorized to call in all certificates of location previously issued which are not annulled by the forfeiture under the law of 1895 and to issue new certificates in lieu thereof.

Article 2518d. The Fish and Oyster Commissioner is authorized to

appoint one or more deputy commissioners in each coast county in this State. Such deputy or deputies shall have and exercise the same powers and duties in their respective counties as the Fish and Oyster Commission, and in addition to these county deputies the Fish and Oyster Commissioner is authorized to appoint as many as four special deputies who shall have jurisdiction over the entire coast for the execution of the fish and oyster laws; and in the execution of these laws these special deputies shall have the same authority as that given to the Fish and Oyster Commissioner; provided, that such special deputics shall at all times be subject to the orders of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner. These special deputies shall be appointed and give bond in the same manner as that provided for county deputies.

Article 2518e. All deputies whether county or special, shall make an annual report to Fish and Oyster Commissioner, not later than September 15th of each year, of his official acts for the year ending August 31st prior to said report, which report shall set forth in detail such acts as are provided in Article 2516 of this Act.

Article 2518h. No person shall hold the office of deputy fish commissioner or deputy fish and oyster commissioner who is not a citizen of the United States and resident of the State and county in which he holds his office, except the special deputies provided for in Article 2518d, who must be citizens of the United States and residents of the State of Texas.

All deputies shall hold their office at the pleasure of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner.

Article 2518k. Any captain, master or manager of any boat wishing to engage in the business of catching or taking any fish, turtle, terrapin, shrimp or oysters from the waters of the State for market, shall, before engaging in such business, secure from the Fish and Oyster Commissioner or one of his deputy commissioners a license granting to said person permission to take from the waters of the State the specific product named therein whether it be fish turtle, terrapin, shrimp or oysters, provided, that it shall require a separate license for each of the several products named above, and that the licensee in exercising the privileges named in his license shall at all times be governed by the fish and oyster laws of this State. For the purpose of obtaining this license the person desiring same must make written application to the Fish and Oyster Commissioner or one of his deputies in which application he (the applicant) shall set forth under oath if required, that he is a citizen of the United States; the name, class and register number of his boat and the names of the men working on such boat. If the application be for a license to use seines or nets the applicant shall state the number, class and length of the seines or nets to be used by him, or if the application be for a license to gather oysters, must state the number of tongs to be used by him; and the applicant shall also agree that because of the privilege which he shall receive from the State of taking either fish, turtle, terrapin, shrimp or oysters from her waters, all such products shall at all times be subject to inspection by the Fish and Oyster Commissioner or any of his deputies and that said application shall authorize said Commissioner or any of his deputies to enter at any time his boat or any house where he may have such products stored and inspect same;

and he shall further agree to pay to the State the special tax provided for in Article 2514 of this Act. This application having been duly executed and handed to the Fish and Oyster Commissioner or his deputy, accompanied by the applicant's registration certificate and the fee for the license applied for, it shall thereupon be the duty of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner or the deputy receiving same to issue to the applicant a license to engage in the business set forth in his application. Said license must be signed by the Fish and Oyster Commissioner or his deputy, stamped with the seal of his office and state the name of the licensee, name and class of his boat, if any, and the names of the men working on same, and the date of issuance. Such license shall be good for the purpose named therein for twelve months if for fishing for fish, turtle, terrapin or shrimps, and from September 1st to May 1st following date of license if for gathering oysters; and for said license the applicant shall pay the sum of one dollar for himself and one dollar each for every person working on the boat he may have in charge. The license shall always be kept subject to inspection by the Fish and Oyster Commissioner or any of his deputies and it shall not be good for any other person or persons nor on any other boat than the one originally named therein without the consent of the Fish and Oyster Commissioner or one of his deputies written across the face of said license. Any person engaged in the business of taking or catching any fish, turtle, terrapin, shrimp or oysters, for market, who is not while so engaged directly working for a boat previously licensed under the terms of this act shall precure a license in the same manner as the captains, masters or managers of boats so engaged.

Article 529g. It shall be unlawful for any person during the breeding season consisting of the month intervening between April 1st and September 1st to catch any fish or terrapin by drag seine, set net, or any other device except the ordinary hook and line and cast net, or to drag any seine, set any net, or any other device except the regular turtle net (the meshes of which shall not be less than twelve inches square) in any of the waters which are hereby declared to be breeding grounds for fish and terrapin, except the following bays and coast wat rs in this State in which seining, setting nets, or any other device for catching fish, turtle or terrapin in any way other than the ordinary hook and line and cast net is hereby prohibited at any and all times, to-wit:

All that portion of coast waters in Calhoun, Victoria and Jackson counties north or west of a line starting from the extreme east end of Gallinipper Point in Calhoun County and running in a northerly direction in a direct line to the extreme south point of Point Comfort or Mitchell's Point in Calhoun County and all of that body of water situated on Palacios Point or peninsula in Matagorda County commonly known as Oyster Lake and all that body of water in Cameron County west of a straight line drawn from the T head or outer end of the Rio Grande R. R. wharf at Point Isabel to the extreme eastern point of the Buena Vista grant called and designated on the Land Office map of Cameron County as "Portrera Largo;" and all that body of water in Cameron and Nueces Counties known as Baffins Bay. All that portion of water known as Red Fish Bay in Aransas and Nueces Counties, being all that body of water lying west of and between Shell Banks, Bird Island, Hog

Island, Blackberry Island and Rawson's Island on the east and the mainland on the west, also all the portion of water in San Patricio and Nueces Counties lying north of a line drawn from the south end of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway bridge and running in an easterly direction to the extreme southern point of Hatch's Peninsula.

The breeding grounds referred to in this Article in which fishing etc. is permitted during the time specified above are as follows:

1. All the waters of Laguna Madre except Baffin's Bay and from Rio Grande Wharf to Portrero Largo, etc. which shall be closed at all times.

All that portion of water in Nueces County north of the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad Bridge and marked on the United States Coast Survey chart as Nueces Bay.

3. All that portion of water in Aransas and Refugio Counties known and marked on the United States Coast Survey chart as Capano Bay, Puerta Bay and St. Charles Bay. ·

4. All that portion of water marked on the United States Coast Survey chart as Hynes Bay.

5. All that portion of water in Calhoun County north of a line starting from the extreme point of Marsh's Point and running due east to the east bank of San Antonio Bay, and marked on the United States Coast Survey chart as Mission Bay and San Antonio Bay. All that portion of water in Espiritu Santo Bay in Calhoun County north of a line drawn from the east end and north bank of the channel at Steam boat dugout and running to a northeasterly direction to the east point of Blackberry Island and all waters in Espiritu Santo Bay north of a line starting from the east point of Blackberry Island thence in an easterly direction to the north side of the north channel where Big Bayou enters Matagorda Bay.

6. All that portion of water in Calhoun County marked on the United States Coast Survey chart as Keller's Bay and Carancahua Bay. 7. All that portion of water in Matagorda County known on the United States Coast Survey chart as Turtle Bay; also Trespolacious Bay in said County; also all that portion of water in said county north of a line extending from Half Moon light house in a northeasterly direction to Dog Island, and all that water lying north of a line extending from Dog Island to the mouth of Caney Creek.

All that portion of water in Brazoria County marked on the United States Coast Survey chart as Bastrop Bay and Oyster Bay.

9. All that portion of water in Galveston and Harris Counties north north of a line starting from the extreme southern point of Red Bluff on the west bank of Galveston Bay and running in an easterly direction to the first beacon south of Morgans Point, thence in a northerly direction. to the extreme point of Mesquite Point.

10. All that portion of water in Chambers County marked on the United States Coast Survey chart as Turtle Bay.

11. All that portion of water in Galveston and Harris Counties known as Clear Creek and Clear Lake, as far up as the G. H. & H. R. R. bridge. 12. All that portion of water in Chambers County starting from the mouth of Trinity River with all adjacent channels, bayous and lakes up said said river to include Lake Charlotte.

13. All that portion of water lying west of a line drawn from the