| 1716. |
2 CHARLES Lord BALTIMORE.
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At a Session of ASSEMBLY begun and held at the
City of Annapolis, in the County of Ann-Arundel,
the 17th Day of July, and ended the
10th Day of
August, in the * Second Year of the Dominion
of
the Right Honourable CHARLES, absolute Lord and
Proprietary of the Provinces of Maryland and
Avalon,
Lord Baron of Baltimore, &c. Annoq; Domini
1716, were Enacted the Laws following, viz.
* The Commission to Governor Hart,
from the Lords Baltimore and Guilford, is dated 30th
May, 1715, as recorded in the Secretary's Office, Lib. T.P.
fol. 350, which being the first Act of
Proprietary Government, after its being restored by the Crown, the Year
of his Lordship's Dominion
is here dated accordingly. |
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JOHN HART, Esq; Governor.
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CHAP. I.
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Passed 10th
August 1716. |
An ACT for repairing the Damages already sustained in the Records
of the Land, Secretary's, Commissary's. and County
Court Offices; and for the Security of the same Records
for
the future. Lib. LL. Nº 4. fol.
284.
Supplementary and other Acts relating
to the Records are, 1722, ch. 14; 1742, ch. 10; 1747,
ch. 3; and 1748, ch.
7.
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Preamble, setting
forth the
bad State of
the Records,
&c.
Commissioners
appointed
to inspect the
Records in
the Land. |
WHEREAS upon a View and Enquiry unto the Records of the Land,
Secretary's Commissary's, and County Court Offices of this Province,
it appears, that sundry Matters which have been Recorded
therein, are entirely lost, to the great Prejudice of those concerned;
and a
great part of such as remain, are so very much worn and damnified,
that
without a speedy Care is taken for their Amendment, it is like to prove
of
very ill and dangerous Consequences to the Inhabitants of this Province
in
general, the most valuable Part of their Estates entirely depending thereon.
And forasmuch as the bad Circumstances of the Records of the Land, Secretary's,
and Commissary's Offices, are owing, as well to the Damages they
sustained by transporting them from St. Mary's to his City,
as to the Negligence
of the several Officers and Clerks that have hitherto been entrusted
therewith, and the Want of good and sufficient Books at first, they not
being
under any Obligation or Penalty to find such Books, or to keep them in
due
Repair, notwithstanding they have received the full profits and Benefits
of
the several Offices they were entrusted with: For Remedy whereof
for the
future, and that the Records of the several Offices aforesaid, that stand
in
need of any Amendments and Reparations, may be speedily and sufficiently
amended and repaired, in the best Manner that is possible, at the Charge
of the Public, and respective Counties; and that after such Reparations
as aforesaid,
the several Officers and Clerks that shall from Time to Time be entrusted
with any the several Records aforesaid, and shall reap the Profits and
Benefits of such their Offices, be obliged to find good and sufficient
Books for
the future, and look after and maintain the Record-Books committed to their
Care, in such Order and Reparation, from Time to Time, as they shall receive
them.
II. Be it Enacted,
by the Right Honourable, the Lord Proprietary, by and with
the Advice and Consent of his Lordship's Governor, and the Upper and Lower
Houses of Assembly, and by the Authority of the same, That Lieutenant-Colonel
Samuel Young, Mr. Joseph Hill, Mr. Benjamin Tasker, and
Mr. John Beale, or |
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