169

LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1781.

issue an order for the payment of a sum, not exceeding thirty dollars per
annum, till the child shall arrive to the age of seven years, on failure
whereof a scire facias may issue on the recognizance.

CHAPTER 16.

AN ACT to declare what foreign Gold and Silver Coin shall be deemed
the current money of the state.
SEC. 1. Is superseded by 1812, ch. 135, the currency, as established by
congress, is to be adjudged the current money of the state.

CHAPTER 20.

AH ACT to appropriate certain lands to the use of the officers and soldiers
of this state, and for the sale of vacant lands.
See for other acts, Index word, 'Land Office.'
Under this law, the land office under the present state government was
first opened. See Kilty's Landholder's Assistant, page 308.

Preamble.

WHEREAS, there are large tracts of land within this state
reserved by the late proprietors, which may be applied in dis-
charge of the engagement of lands made to the officers and
soldiers of this state ; and the granting the other vacant lands
in this state would promote population, and create a fund to-
wards defraying the public burthen ;

Lands ap-
propriated,
&c.

SEC. 2. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That all the lands within this state, in Washington county,
westward of Fort Cumberland, and for which warrants have
not issued, or surveys been made under common warrants, and
are now bona fide the property of any subject of this or any of
the United States, and on which the money has been actually
paid, shall be and are hereby appropriated to discharge the
engagement of lands heretofore made to the officers and soldiers
of this state, and the residue to the use of the public, as the
general assembly shall hereafter direct; and no grant shall
issue on any survey made in virtue of such warrants before the
order of the general assembly.
By 1784, ch. 75, grants of these lands were authorized in the manner
therein mentioned.

Land
offices to be
held, &c.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That there shall be a land office
held for the western shore at the city of Annapolis, and for the
eastern shore at the place appointed for holding the general
court on that shore, under the direction and care of the registers
of those offices for the time being ; and such registers shall have
the possession and care of the extracts of the grants and certifi-
cates of the land on their respective shores, which shall here-
after be made agreeable to the directions in the form of govern-
ment; and such registers shall grant warrants for the resurvey-
iug, proclamating or escheating, any land within any of the
counties on their respective shores; and shall also, on the order
or titling of the treasurer of their shore, issue common or special