346

LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1797,

first countersigning the said several blank licenses with his
proper name of office, and taking a receipt from each clerk for
the number of licenses so delivered ; and from and after the
said first day of May next, the said respective clerks shall grant
to all and every person and persons who shall apply for the
same, one of the said licenses, properly filled up and signed by
them, and sealed with the seal of their respective offices.

Clerks to
return a list,
&c.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That the said respective clerks
shall, on or before the first day of May, in the year seventeen
hundred and ninety-nine, and on or before the same day in
every year thereafter, return to the treasurer of their respective
shore a list of all the marriage licenses granted by them during
the preceding year; and each and every of the said clerks shall
forthwith pay to the said treasurer the sum of twenty-five shil-
lings current money for each and every license which shall
have been before delivered to him in blank, unless the said
respective clerks shall entitle themselves to an allowance, by
producing such of the said blank licenses as the said clerks
may not have granted ; and if any of the said licenses shall be
returned in blank to the said treasurer, then the said respective
clerks shall only pay the sum of twenty-five shillings for each
and every of the said blank licenses as shall not be so returned
on the settlement of their account as aforesaid.

Penalty for
neglecting
to apply,
&c.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That if any of the said clerks
shall not annually apply to the treasurer of their respective
shore for blank marriage licenses on or before the said first day
of May, in the manner directed by this act, every such clerk,
so neglecting or refusing to apply, shall forfeit and pay the sum
of one hundred dollars for every offence.

And for not
returning a
list, &c.

SEC. 5. And be it enacted, That if any of the said clerks,
so having received blank marriage licenses, as herein before
directed, shall refuse or neglect to return to the treasurer of
their respective shore, on or before the first day of May annu-
ally, a list of all the marriage licenses granted by them respec-
tively during the preceding year, and account for and pay to
the said treasurer the sum of twenty-five shillings current mo-
ney for each and every license by them so granted, the said
treasurer shall forthwith charge the clerk or clerks so neglecting
or refusing with the whole amount of blank licenses which
shall have been before delivered to such clerk or clerks, at the
said rate of twenty-five shillings for every of the said blank
licenses, and shall immediately thereafter prosecute a suit at
law against such clerk or clerks for the same, in which it shall
be sufficient to declare for so much money had and received for
the use of the state, and the receipt of such clerk shall be com-
petent evidence to entitle the state to a recovery, and a trial