614 Assembly Proceedings, May 1-June 4, 1744.

Session
Laws

Gelding or Geldings, Colt or Colts, within this Province, and all
Aiders, Abettors, and Accessaries, either before or after the Fact, of
any such Takers or Stealers, and all and every Person and Persons
who shall buy, take, or receive any stolen Horse, Mare, Gelding, or
Colt, knowing the same to be feloniously taken or stolen, and shall
be thereof convicted, by Confession or Verdict, or be outlawed, or
will not upon Arraignment answer directly according to Law, or
shall wilfully and of Malice stand mute, or shall peremptorily chal-
lenge above Twenty, shall for every such Offence or Offences as
aforesaid, suffer Death as a Felon, without Benefit of Clergy.
And be it further Enacted, That any Person or Persons who shall,
after the Publication of this Act, maliciously, wilfully, and design-
edly burn any Ship or other Vessel, Sloop, Shallop, or Boat, of
Seventeen Feet Keel, or upwards, whether laden or empty, and the
Aiders or Abettors of such Offender or Offenders, being thereof con-
victed or attainted by due Course of Law, shall suffer Death as a
Felon or Felons, without Benefit of Clergy.

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This Act to continue for Three Years next ensuing, and to the
End of the next Session of Assembly that shall happen after the said
Three Years.

Chap. XXI.

An Act to enable the Rector, Vestrymen, and Church-Wardens of
St, James's Parish, in Anne-Arundel County, to lease Lands be-
longing to St. James's Church, in Manner, and to the Uses therein
mentioned.

Preamble.

Whereas, the Vestrymen and Church-Wardens of St. James's
Parish, in Anne Arundel County, have by their humble Petition
represented to this present General Assembly, that they are entitled
to and possessed of a Parcel of Land, Part of a Tract called
Wrighton, on the East Side of Patuxent River, in Anne Arundel
County, and that the said Land has hitherto remained unimproved,
and might for the future continue not only unimproved, but a Bur-
den and Charge to the Incumbent of the said Parish (by Payment
of his Lordship's Land-Rents), for want of Power in the Rector,
Vestrymen, and Church-Wardens of the said Parish, for the Time
being, to lease the said Land for Years, to such Person or
Persons as might be willing and desirous to receive such Lease or
Leases of the said Land, or some of it, to build on, and otherwise
improve the same; wherefore it was by the said Petition prayed, that
Leave might be given to bring in a Bill to enable the Rector, Vestry-
men, and Church-Wardens of the said Parish for the Time being, to
lease and demise the aforesaid Land to any Person or Persons who
shall be willing and desirous to take a Lease thereof, on such Condi-
tions, Covenants, Provisoes, Agreements, and Rents, as the Rector,
Vestry-men, and Church-Wardens of the said Parish for the Time
being, and the Person or Persons who shall be willing to take the