Acts. 143

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 Twentieth Day of December next, to meet
together at the Place commonly called Frederick Town aforesaid,

Liber B. L. C.

and buy or purchase from the Owner or Owners of such Land, three
Acres whereon to build a Court House and Prison in Frederick
County aforesaid, if the Owner or Owners of such Land and the
Commissioners aforesaid, or the major Part of them, shall agree for
the same; but if the Owner or Owners of such Land and the- Com-
missioners aforesaid, or the major Part of them, shall not agree for
the Purchase thereof, or if the Owner or Owners of such Land shall
be under the Age of Twenty-one Years or other Disability to sell
or convey the same, then the said Commissioners, or the major Part
of them, are hereby authorized and impowered to issue a Warrant
directed to the Sheriff of Prince George's County, therein requiring
the said Sheriff to call to his Assistance the Surveyor of Prince
George's County, to survey and lay out the said Quantity of Land,
and to summon 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 im-
pannelled and sworn as a Jury, to enquire who is Owner, and declare

p. 449

the Value of the said Land designed for a Court House and Prison
in the County aforesaid, and the Payment or Tender of such their
Valuation to the Person 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 of a Feme Covert, if one shall be found to be the
Owner, shall invest the Justices of Frederick County, and their Suc-
cessors, with an Estate in Fee Simple for the Use of such County
as aforesaid for ever; which Survey, Valuation, and other Proceed-
ings shall be by the said Commissioners, or the major Part of them,
returned, and they are hereby directed and required to return the
same in Writing under the Hands and Seals of the said Commis-
sioners, or the major Part of them, and under the Hands and Seals
of the said Sheriff and Surveyor, to the next Prince George's County
Court, after making the same, which County Court shall, and they
are hereby obliged and required to order and direct the Clerk of
Prince George's County, and he is hereby obliged in Pursuance of
such Order, within two Months thereafter, to record, among the

[Land to be
valued &c.]

Land Records of such his County, all the aforesaid Proceedings, and
which Record being so as aforesaid made, shall be held, deemed and
taken, according to the Tenor and Meaning thereof, to all Intents,
Constructions and Purposes, as good and effectual as any other
Matter of Record whatsoever.

[Directions
to the
Clerk.]

And be it further Enacted by the Authority Advice and Consent
aforesaid, That the Justices of Frederick County aforesaid shall, and
they are hereby authorized and impowered to assess and levy on the
taxable Persons of the same County, in the same Manner as the

[Justices
Authorized,
&c.]