LAWS OF MARYLAND— 1785.

19?

brother, brother's daughter's husband, sister's daughter's hus-
band, husband's brother's son, husband's sister's son, shall be
and hereby is repealed and made void ; and all marriages here-
tofore made and celebrated by and between persons related
within any of the said degrees of affinity mentioned in this act,
are hereby confirmed and made valid in law, to all intents and
purposes, from the time of the celebration of such marriages
respectively ; and all penalties and forfeitures which may have
been incurred under the said act, by any marriage within any
of the. said degrees of affinity, are hereby released and dis-
charged, and the parties from the same forever acquitted; and
no penalties shall hereafter be incurred under the said act in
consequence of any marriage within any of the said degrees of
affinity herein before mentioned, but such marriage shall be
good, sufficient and valid in law.

CHAPTER 30.

AN ACT to enable any of the United Slates to prosecute actions in any
court of law or equity against any person residing within this state.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland, That
any of the United States shall be considered and recognized in
this state a body politic and corporate, for the purpose of com-
mencing and prosecuting any action in any court of law or
equity in this state, by the name corporate and politic, which such
state assumed on the establishment of its government, against
any person residing within this state, upon whom such state
shall or may have any claim or demand ; in which suit the
same proceedings shall be had, and there shall be the same
right of appeal, as in other cases ; provided, that some citizen of
this state shall become answerable by rule of the court in which
such suit shall be brought for payment of costs on behalf of
such state, in case judgment or decree be rendered or given
against such state.

CHAPTER 38.
AN ACT ascertaining what shall be recovered on Protested Bills of Exchange,
and to repeal an act of assembly therein mentioned.

Any of the
U. States
considered
a body poli-
tic, &c.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland, That
upon all bills of exchange hereafter drawn in this state on any
person, corporation, company or society, in any foreign country,
and regularly protested, the owner or holder of such bill, or the
person or persons, company, society or corporation, entitled to
the same, shall have a right to receive and recover so much
current money as will purchase a good bill of exchange of the
same time of payment, and upon the same place, at the current
exchange of such bills, and also fifteen per cent, damages upon
the value of the principal sum mentioned in such bill, and costs

What shall
be recover-
ed on pro-
tested bills,
&c.