2300

WORCESTER COUNTY.

	operation in law to all intents and purposes, as if the records aforesaid, in which the said papers were heretofore recorded, had never been destroyed.
Of persons property.	SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That any person or persons claiming any right to any personal property, by virtue of any instrument of writing, which had been recorded in the county aforesaid, and which with the records thereof has been de-
Take tes- timony before justices.	stroyed, shall and may, upon application to any two justices of the peace of the state of Maryland, in and for Worcester county aforesaid, proceed to take testimony as the nature of the case will admit of, to establish the existence and validity of any instrument of writing so as aforesaid recorded and de- stroyed, and the right of property therein mentioned, and the said justices, before they proceed to take testimony in the
Notice.	cases, shall give at least twenty days notice by advertisement, inserted once a week, for three successive weeks, in a news- paper published in Worcester county aforesaid, and also to be set up at the court-house door of the county aforesaid, of the time and place of their intention to take the testimony on the application aforesaid, and shall also give notice to any person or persons that may appear to be interested in the issue of the
Justice to return.	subject matter before them, and the said justices shall make return of their proceedings to the clerk of Worcester county
Clerk to record.	court, who shall record the same in the record book aforesaid, at die expense and cost of the party requiring the same, and the same when so recorded shall be binding and have the same effect in law, to all intents and purposes, as if the ori- ginal paper or record thereof had not been burned.
List of slaves.	SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That in all cases where slaves have been imported or brought into this state, by virtue of an act, entitled, an act relating to negroes, and to repeal the acts of assembly therein mentioned, passed at December session, seventeen hundred and ninety-six, and the supplements thereto, and by virtue of the same and subsequent acts of the general assembly, passed previous to its December session, eighteen hundred and thirty-four, and the lists of such slaves required to be delivered to the clerk of the county, and the record of the same have been destroyed, it shall and may be lawful for any such person or persons interested in perpetuat- ing the same, to make application in writing, to any two jus- tices of the peace, in and for the county aforesaid, who shall
Testimony to be taken	proceed to take such testimony as the nature of the case will admit of, to establish the existence and record of such list, so as aforesaid recorded and destroyed, and the said justices shall make return of their proceedings to the clerk of Worcester
To be re- corded.	county court, who shall record the same as aforesaid, at the expense and cost of the party requiring the same, and the