2214

SOMERSET COUNTY.

Treasurer
of original
act abolish-
ed.

SEC. 9. And be it enacted, That the office of treasurer, cre-
ated by the original act to which this is a supplement, be, and
the same is hereby abolished, and the said treasurer is hereby

Payment
over di-
rected.

required to pay over to said commissioners any sum or sums of
money now in his hands, to be deposited in the Bank of Salis-
bury as aforesaid, subject to the order of the said commis-
sioners.

SEINES.
AN ACT to prevent persons from staking out Seines across the River
Wicomico, in Somerset County. — 1808, ch. 78.

Penalty for
liking out
seines, &c.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That if any person or persons, after the passage of this act,
shall stake out or fix any seine or seines across the river
Wicomico, in Somerset county, or aid and assist therein, by
which fish may be obstructed in going up or coming down said
river, every such person or persons, so offending, shall forfeit
and pay the sum of twenty dollars for every such offence, one-
half of which sum shall be given to the informer, and the other
half thereof to be paid to the sheriff of the county where the
recovery shall be had, to be by him paid and accounted for to
the justices of the levy court of said county, and by them ap-
plied towards defraying the public charges of said county, to
be recovered by action of debt, bill, plaint or information, with
full costs of suit, in any county court of this state where such
offender or offenders shall be apprehended or reside.

And on
slaves of-
fending, &c.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted. That if any slave shall fix any
seine or seines across said river, by which fish may be ob-
structed as aforesaid, such slave shall be punished for such
offence, on conviction thereof before any justice of the peace,
by the oath of one or more credible witness or witnesses, by
whipping on his back, in the discretion of the said justice, not
exceeding for each offence, the number of thirty-nine lashes ;

Provisos.

Provided always, that the master or mistress of said slave, or any
other person, may release said slave, so convicted, on payment
of thirty dollars, one-half to the informer, and the other half to
be paid to the justice, and by him applied as hereafter directed ;
And provided further, that if such slave shall act as aforesaid
by the order of his owner or employer, he shall not be subject
to whipping as aforesaid, but the owner or employer giving
him the order shall be subject to the penalty of twenty dollars.

Seines so
staked may
be destroy-
ed.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That it shall and may be lawful
for any person or persons whatsoever, to destroy or remove
any seine or seines staked or fixed across said river to obstruct
the passage of fish as aforesaid.

General
issue plead-
abie.

SEC. 4, And be it enacted, That if any person shall be sued
or impleaded for destroying any such seine or seines fixed
across said river contrary to the true intent and meaning of
this act, it shall and may be lawful for such person or persons