Arts. 429

Part of what is now reputed to be within the County of Somerset,
to the Extent of this Province, shall be, and is hereby constituted
into a County, and shail be nominated, called, and known by the
Name of Worcester County, and the Inhabitants thereof shall have
and enjoy equal Privileges with the other Counties of this Province,
in sending Delegates to the General Assembly, having County-
Courts, Sheriffs, Justices, and other Officers and Ministers, as is
usual in other Counties within this Province.
And be it further Enacted by the Authority, Advice, and Consent
aforesaid, That Col. Levin Gale, Col. Robert King, Major George
Gale, Capt. James Martin, Major Robert Jenckins Henry, and
Mr. Isaac Morris, or the major Part of them, shall be, and are hereby
authorized and impowered, at such Times as they or the major Part
of them shall think proper, before the Tenth Day of December next,
to meet together at Princess Anne Town in Somerset County, and

Session
Laws

Snow-Hill Town in Worcester County, and buy or purchase from
the Owners of such Land, as they or the major Part of them shall
think proper in the said Towns, not being more than one, or less
than half of one Acre, whereon to erect a Court-House in each
County, and a Prison in Worcester County, if the Owner of such
Land will sell it at a reasonable Rate; but if the Owners of such
Lands as by the said Col. Levin Gale, Col. Robert King, Major
George Gale, Capt. James Martin, Major Robert Jenckins Henry,
and Mr. Isaac Morris, or the major Part of them, shall be chosen,
shall refuse to sell it at a reasonable Price, or be under the Age of
Twenty-one Years, or other Disability to sell or convey the same,
then the said Persons or the major Part of them are hereby author-
ized and impowered to issue a Warrant to the Sheriff of such County,
where it shall be requisite, therein requiring the said Sheriff to sum-
mon Twenty-four Freeholders of the said County, to appear on the
Land to be chosen as aforesaid, at a Time therein to be mentioned,
Twelve at least of which said Freeholders shall be impanelled and
sworn as a Jury, to enquire who is Owner, and declare the Value of
the said Land designed for a Court-House, and the Payment of such
their Valuation to the Persons who shall be found by such Jury to
be Owner of such Land, or to the Guardian of the Owner, if a Minor,
or to the Husband, if a Feme Covert, if one shall be found to be the
Owner; which Payment and Receipt therefore, or Tender thereof,
shall invest the Justices of Worcester County, and their Successors
with an Estate in Fee-Simple for the Use of such County-Court
for ever.

p. 41

Commis-
sioners to
purchase
Lands,
whereon to
build a
Court
House
for each
County.

And be it further Enacted, That the Justices of the several County-
Courts of each of the said Counties shall, and are hereby authorized
and impowered to assess and levy upon the taxable Persons of their
respective Counties, in the same Manner as the County Charge hath
been usually levied, so much Money as shall be necessary to pay for
the Land so as aforesaid to be allotted, and to build a Court-House

Money to be
assessed for
Payment
of the said
Land.