STATE HOUSE.

Nothing in the records show that the State House has a
record title to the ground on which the State House stands,
except a plat hereinafter referred to. The records have been
carefully examined from 1694, when they and the seat of
government were moved from St. Mary's county to An-
napolis, and when Commissioners were appointed for build-
ing the first State House, down to within the last thirty
years.

The seat of government was moved from St. Mary's to
Annapolis in 1694. During that same year Major John
Hammond, Major Dorsey, Messrs. John Bennett and John
Dorsey, Andrew Norwood, Philip Howard, James Saunders
and Nicholas Greenberry were appointed Commissioners to
survey and lay out the town of Annapolis into streets and
lanes, and also a town common for pasture, to be fenced at
the public expense. At the same time they were authorized
to have a plat of the town made, which was made by Richard
Beard. A copy of this plat is in the Land Office at An-
napolis, and on it the State House Circle is laid out.

It has been well authenticated that the records from 1657
to 1683 were lost during their removal from St. Mary's to
Annapolis; and that the first CourLhuuse was burned in
1706, with all the records therein. So that while no record
title can be found, there is no doubt of the fact that the
Colony had a title to the property, and that it came down to
the State from Colonial times, for the reason that the State
House Circle is recognized on the plat aforesaid; but owing
to the destruction of the records, in what form it was trans-
ferred can not be ascertained. Its value is about $800,000.

CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS' HOME.

A very interesting fact developed in the examination of the
records to ascertain by what title the State held the prop-
erty at Pikesville, now known as the Confederate Soldiers'
Home. I was not able to find any reference to said title in
the Land Office, at Annapolis, nor in the Land Records of
Baltimore county, but ascertained that there had been cer-
tain legislation both of Congress and by the Maryland Legis-
lature touching the matter, as follows: I found by the Act