2390

LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1839.

May con-
demn land
for school;
not more
than half an
acre.

cated in said district or districts, and where the school commis-
sioners cannot obtain said land at fair prices, then, and in that
case, the said school commissioners be, and they are hereby
authorized to condemn said land ; Provided always, they, the
commissioners, shall not be permitted to condemn more than
half an acre for each school, and where the commissioners do
condemn land for the benefit of said school or schools, then
and in that case, the commissioners be, and they are hereby
authorized to cause a plot and certificate to be made out by
the surveyor of said county, of said lands, and to be returned
to the clerk of said county, to be by him recorded among
other land records of said county ; and that in all cases in
which it may be necessary for the school commissioners to
condemn land under the provisions of this act, the land so con-

To be
vulued.

demned, shall be valued by three disinterested persons, one to
be chosen by the owner of the land, one by the school commis-
sioners, and the two persons thus chosen are to select a third ;
and the three persons thus selected, or a majority of them, after
taking an oath fairly and justly to value the land so con-
demned, shall proceed to view and value the same, and to
name the sum which said school commissioners shall pay for
said lands — and after the valuation, they shall make a full re-
turn to the clerk of the county, of the amount of valuation,
together with the plot of said lands ; and the said school com-
missioners shall, immediately upon the return being made, be,
and they are hereby authorized to take possession of the said
lands thus condemned, to be used for the purposes intended
by the provisions of this bill ; and the commissioners are also
authorized to erect on said lot or lots, a suitable school-house
or houses, as the case may be, and to pay for said lot or lots,
and the cost of erecting or building of said school-house or
houses, out of the money to be drawn out of the hands of the
treasurer of the school fund for said county, us herein pro-
vided, and the overplus, if any, the said commissioners shall
apply to the support of the said school or schools ; Provided,

Or may
purchase.

that nothing in this act shall be construed so as to prevent the
school commissioners of said county from purchasing any
house to be used for a school- house, if they may deem it ex-
pedient to do so.

Levy $4000
for support
of primary
schools.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That from and after the passage
of this act, the county commissioners of the tax, in and for
Dorchester county, be, and they are hereby authorized and
directed, to levy annually upon the real and personal property
of said county, the sum of tour thousand dollars, for the use
and support of primary schools in said county, and that the
said four thousand dollars be collected and paid over to the
treasurer of the school fund for said county, in the manner