FISH— GATES.

this is a supplement, either in part, or in whole, of any creek,
river or bay, or do now consist in part, or in whole, of such
enclosures, the same shall be and hereby is exempted from the
operation of the provisions of the said original act, so far as the
said creeks, rivers or bays, have been taken and considered as
a part of said enclosure, but no further ; and in all other cases
the entire provisions of said original act, shall be taken and
held to be in full force and effect, with the exception here
made, as to the creeks, rivers and bays in Dorchester and
Caroline counties.

FISH.

See 1800, ch. 21, ante pnge 428.

GATES.
AN ACT relating to Gates on the public roads in Caroline County. — 1823,
ch. 106.

1769

WHEREAS, it is represented to this general assembly by the
petition of sundry inhabitants of Caroline county, that the ne-
cessities of many of the citizens thereof compel them to keep
gates on the public roads, and that the owners of such gates
have but a very precarious dependence on them as enclosures
to their fields for want of some legal authority to keep up such
gates, and pray for some legislative aid ; and the prayer of said
petitioners appearing reasonable on suitable conditions ; there-
fore,

Preamble.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That from and after the passage of this act, it shall and may be
lawful for any of the citizens of Caroline county to keep on
the public roads in said county all such gates as are now
erected on the public roads, for their own private use and con-
venience, upon the express conditions following; all and every
owner or owners of a gate or gates kept on the public roads,
shall have his, her or their gate or gates hung on good and suf-
ficient iron hinges, and shall keep the same and that part of the
said road which they occupy in good order and repair, so as to
impede as little as possible persons travelling with carriages of
pleasure or burthen.

Conditional
privilege.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted That if any person or persons
after the passage of this act, shall cut down, destroy, wilfully
leave fixed open, or remove any of the said gates, they shall,
upon conviction thereof before a magistrate, forfeit and pay to
the owner of such gate a sum not less than one, nor exceeding
ten dollars for every such offence, to be recovered as small
debts are out of court.

Gates pro-
tected.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That on all gates authorized bj
this act to be kept on the public roads, the owner or owners
222

Tax.