1374

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY.

Trustees

named) or, in his absence, to any one of the three persons first

appointed,
&c.

named that shall be there present, the which person, being

sworn as aforesaid, shall administer the oaths aforementioned

to all the rest, and so successively, the person first named that

shall be present shall always administer the said oaths to any

that have been absent, or shall hereafter be elected and chosen

pursuant to the directions of this act, to supply the place of any

that shall be dead, or removed out of the counties, or of any

who shall refuse or neglect to qualify and act as a trustee, when

elected and chosen pursuant to the directions of this act, and

the aforesaid persons, or the major part of them, being sworn as

aforesaid, shall be constituted and qualified as trustees for the

poor of their said county, and, as such, are hereby invested

with full power and authority, as a body politic, to plead and be

impleaded, to sue and be sued, to defend and be defended, to

answer and be answered, by the name of the Trustees for the

Poor, in all and every cause, complaint and action, real, personal

or mixt, of whatsoever kind or nature it shall be, in any of the

courts of judicature within this province, and by that name

they, and any of them, and their successors, shall, and they are

hereby enabled to take, hold, possess and enjoy, any gift, dona-

tion or present, which shall or may hereafter be given, devised

or bequeathed, by any person or persons whatsoever, to them,

or any of them, for or towards the support and maintenance of

the poor in any of the counties aforesaid ; and they, or any of

them, may receive, by way of subscription, any sum or sums of

money which shall or may be given for the better and more

speedy promoting the benefit and good by this act intended ,

and that they have full power, authority, lawful capacity and

ability, to purchase, take, hold, receive, enjoy and have, to them

and their successors for ever, any lands, tenements and heredit-

aments, not exceeding the yearly value of one thousand pounds,

of any person or persons whatsoever, and are hereby empowered

and authorized to use one common seal in their business relat-

ing to the said corporation, and the same, at then pleasure, to

change and alter, and that the said persons so incorpoiated, the

longest livers and successors of them, shall be the true, sole

and undoubted trustees, in perpetual succession for ever, to be

continued in way and manner hereafter specified, with full and

absolute power, liberty and authority, in the making and ordain-

ing such laws, orders and rules, for the better relieving, regu-

lating and setting the poor to work, and punishing vagrants,

beggars, vagabonds and other offenders, and for the good go-

vernment of the said alms and work-house in their respective

counties, as to them and their successors shall, from time to

time, seem most fit and requisite, all which shall be observed

by the overseer of such alms and work-house, and by all poor,