1096

BALTIMORE COUNTY.

LAND RECORDS, INDEX TO.
An ACT to authorize the making a general Alphabetical Index of the
Land Records of Baltimore County, from the year seventeen hundred
and ninety-nine inclusive, and to keep up such Index henceforth. — 1831,
ch. 80.

Preamble.

WHEREAS, to the land records of Baltimore county that have
accumulated during the last thirty-four years, there is no gene-
ral index, and the search for conveyances and ascertainment of
titles to land is thus rendered very laborious, tedious and expen-
sive ; And whereas, the necessity of examining each volume of
records in that period when titles are to be traced through a
series of years, which often occurs, has subjected the volumes
of those records to much wear, and in the end may make the
transcribing of them requisite, which would prove a heavy
charge upon the city and county of Baltimore ; And whereas,
the public interest requires that these evils should be remedied
and for the future prevented ; therefore,

Court au-
thorized and
directed.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That the chief judge, for the time being, of Baltimore county
court, be, and he is hereby authorized to contract with and em-
pjoy the clerk for the time being, of said court, to make out a
general alphabetical index of the land records of Baltimore
county ; beginning said index with the volume of said records
marked W. G. nuniber 54, and continuing the same with all
such of said records as shall have been made, and all convey-
ances that shall have been received to be recorded up to the

Expenses.

time of the passage of this act; and that the expense of making
said index shall be borne and paid by the city of Baltimore and
by Baltimore county, out of the limits of said city, respectively,
in proportion to the assessable property in the same respectively;
and to be levied as charges against said city, and against said
county, by the commissioners of Baltimore county and the
mayor and city council of Baltimore respectively.

Chief judge
to direct the
manner.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That said index shall be made
under the supervision of said chief judge, and besides, being
both in the name of each and all of the grantors, and each and
all of the grantees, and exhibiting the book and page of the
record of the several conveyances, shall give such designation
of the land conveyed as the conveyances may furnish, and
shall contain such other particulars as said judge shall direct.

Estimates;
assess-
ments; pay-
ments.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That the said chief judge shall
forthwith, after making the said contract, and annually there-
after, until said index shall be made and paid for, report to the
said commissioners, and to the mayor and city council of Balti-
more respectively, an estimate of the probable amount of ex-
pense aforesaid, for the thence ensuing year; which amount
said commissioners and the mayor and city council of Balti-