838

LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1780.

and expenses on complaints against the officers of government
shall be paid by the party complaining or complained against,
or by the public, as the governor and council, or any three or
more of them shall adjudge; and the governor and council, or
any three or more of them, shall have power to compel payment
in the like manner as the general court are authorized and
empowered.

CHAPTER 33.

AN ACT for marking and bounding Lands.
Supplements 1787, ch. 22; 1793, ch. 70; 3805, ch. 54, as to Baltimore
city ; 1808, ch. 46; 1831, ch. 180, as to Saint Mary's county.

Preamble.

WHEREAS many differences and law-suits have arisen and
may arise, concerning the location of lands held under courses
and distances only, contained in title papers thereof, the direc-
tion of the courses varying in most instances, in a length of
time, from the former running, from whence the descriptions of
such lands were made in the certificates, grants and deeds
thereof, and the marking and bounding lands in such manner,
that their location would remain fixed and certain, would pre-
vent differences and law-suits, quiet possessions, and of course
render lands more valuable ;

Persons
may apply
for a com-
mission,
&c.

SEC. 2. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That any person seized of land held under courses and dis-
tances only, as to any of the Jines thereof, whether courses and
distances only are mentioned in the grant or deed under which
such land is held, or by the loss of boundaries called for, the
person seized is confined to course and distance, or seized of
the reversion or remainder on an estate for life or lives therein,
having given two months' notice by advertisement set up at the
court-house door of the county, and by such advertisement set
up at the doors of the churches, and other houses for public
worship, if any, in the hundred where such land lies, of his
intention to apply to the court for a commission to mark and
bound his land, named, or otherwise described, in such adver-
tisement; and also giving notice in writing to the persons
holding the adjoining lands, if residing thereon, or if absent,
leaving such notice at the houses of such persons, thirty days
before the meeting of the county court of the county where
such land lies, and if no person lives on the adjoining land,
giving notice four successive weeks in the Baltimore and Anna-
polis newspapers; and also giving personal notice to the owner
of the adjoining land, or to his agent or attorney, if known and
in the state, thirty days before the meeting of the county court,
as aforesaid, may apply, by petition in writing, to such court for
a commission to mark and bound such land agreeable to the
directions of this act ; and upon proof being made to the satis-