re seized by virtue of the provisions
of this act, it shall be the duty of the officer making such
seizure to cause such lobsters, so seized, as he is not required
by law to liberate, together with the cars, traps, barrels, boxes,
or other packages in which they are contained, to be appraised
within 24 hours after the time of such seizures by three
disinterested men residing in the county where such seizure
is made, to be selected by him, and the lobsters, cars, traps,
barrels, boxes, or other packages so seized and appraised shall
thereupon be sold by the officer making the seizure thereof, at
such time and in such manner as shall by him be deemed proper. The
officer making such seizure and sale shall within ten days after
the time of such seizure file a libel in behalf of the State
before a trial justice, or a judge of a police or municipal court
of the county in which such seizure was made, setting forth the
fact of such seizure, appraisal, and sale, the time and place of
the seizure, the number of lobsters, cars, traps, barrels, boxes,
or other packages so seized and sold, and the amount of the
proceeds of such sale; and such trial justice or judge shall
appoint a time and place for the hearing of such libel, and shall
issue a notice of the same to all persons interested to appear at
the time and place appointed, and show cause why the lobsters,
cars, traps, barrels, boxes, or other packages so seized and sold,
and the proceeds of such sale, should not be declared forfeited,
which notice shall be served upon the owner, if known, and by
causing an attested copy of such libel and notice to be posted in
two public and conspicuous places in the town in which the seizure
was made, seven days at least before the time of hearing.

If any person appears at the time and place of hearing, and claims
that the lobsters, cars, traps, barrels, boxes, or other packages
so seized and sold were not liable to forfeiture at the time of
seizure, and that he was entitled thereto, the trial justice or
judge shall hear and determine the cause, and if he shall decide
that such lobsters, cars, traps, barrels, boxes, or other
packages, at the time of seizure, were not liable to forfeiture,
and that the claimant was entitled thereto, he shall order the
proceeds of such sale to be paid to the claimant; if no claimant
shall appear, or