LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1831.

1025

CHAPTER 208.
AN ACT relating to Crimes and Punishments.
See 1809, eh. 138, ante page 572.

SEC. 1 . Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That any person who shall falsely make, forge, or counterfeit,
any letter or paper writing, containing a request that any other
person may pay or deliver any money, goods, or other thing of
value, on or for the account of any person referred to, in or by

Counter-
feit ing or-
ders, let-
ters, &c

such letter or paper writing, with intent to defraud ; or any per-
son who shall knowingly and fraudulently obtain any money,
goods, or other thing of value, by means of any such letter or

Or obtain-
ing goods.
&c. thereby

paper writing ; or any person who shall knowingly and fraudu-
lently utter or publish any such letter or paper writing ; shall
upon conviction thereof, be confined in the penitentiary- house
of this state, for a term not less than two years nor more than
ten years for each and every offence.

Or uttering
the same.

Penalty.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That when any infant under the
age of fifteen years, shall be convicted of any indictable offence,
other than some malicious felony, the court before whom such
conviction shall take place, shall have full power and authority

Case con-
viction of
persons un-
der 15 years
of age.

to suspend sentence upon such convicted party, and bind the
same to a master or mistress, whether resident within or with-
out this state, or to procure other employment for the same, in
or out of this state, and to compel such infant to comply with

Court may
bind out.

the terms of their judgment in the premises : Provided how-
ever, that no binding as aforesaid, shall be for a term extending
beyond the age of sixteen years in females and twenty-one
years in males, and that the infant be not bound to any service
in the county within which he or she shall have been convicted.

Limitation.

SEC. 3. And be.it enacted, That the several courts of this
state having jurisdiction of crimes and offences, may in cases
where recognizances to prosecute have been entered into, and
before presentment or indictment found, upon the motion of the
attorney-general or his deputy, with the consent of the parties
injured and accused, compromise any assault and battery, the
party accused paying the same costs as would have been in-
curred by the finding of a true bill and plea of guilty ; Pro-
vided, that such courts shall consider it proper in reference to
the peace of the state so to do.

Courts au-
thorised to
compro-
mise cases
of assaults
and batte-
ries in cer-
tain cases.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That if any person shall mali-
ciously set fire to and burn any untenanted dwelling-house,
such person shall, on conviction thereof, be confined in the
penitentiary for a term not less than two years nor more than
ten years.
129

Penalty for
burning un-
tenanted
houses, fee.