360

LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1798.

parish one month at least preceding the day of election as a
member of the protestarit episcopal church, and who shall also
contribute to the charges of the said parish in which he offers
to vote such sum as a majority of the vestry in each parish
shall annually, within ten days after their election, in writing,
make known and declare, not exceeding two dollars, shall have
a right of suffrage in the election of vestrymen for such parish ;
and all persons so qualified shall, on the next ensuing Easter
Monday, assemble in their respective parishes, at their parish
church, or if there shall be two or more protestant episcopal
churches in any parish, at the church first built therein, or if
there be in any parish no such church, then at such other place
as the rector of the parish, or if there be no rector, as any three
or more vestrymen, may have publicly notified to the parishion-
ers, and the said persons, so qualified to vote, when assembled,
or such of them as may assemble in each parish, shall proceed,
by a majority of votes, to elect, by ballot, eight vestrymen from
among the persons qualified to vote, who, with the rector of the
parish for the time being, shall be deemed and considered the
vestry of the said parish for the ensuing year, and the rector of
the parish shall always be one of the vestry.

Register to
enrol per-
sons, &c.

SEC. 3. And be if enacted, That the register of the parish
shall, and it is hereby declared to be his duty, to enrol any per-
son of the protestant episcopal church who shall apply for the
purpose, on the books of the parish, under the penalty of eight
dollars, and he shall be authorized to demand and receive the
sum of six cents for each and every such enrolment.

How
vacancies
are to be
filled.

SEC. 4. And, to perpetuate the vestry in each parish, Be it
enacted, That on refusal to serve, resignation, death, or removal
from the parish with a view to reside elsewhere, or on legal dis-
charge from serving, or any other disqualification of any person
chosen a vestryman, the rector, (if any.) or if no rector, any two
of the vestry, or of those persons who last possessed the pow-
ers of vestrymen, shall, with all convenient speed, appoint a
general meeting of the parishioners entitled to suffrage as afore-
said, at the parish church or elsewhere, as herein before men-
tioned ; and at such meeting, such of them as shall assemble
shall proceed, by a majority of votes, to fill up such vacancy or
vacancies from among the persons qualified to vote, as herein
before provided ; and on every Easter Monday for ever, after
the first election as herein before directed, the parishioners enti-
tled to suffrage shall assemble, as herein before prescribed, and
they, or such of them as may assemble, shall, by a majority of
votes, put out four of the eight vestrymen whom they please,
and shall immediately thereafter elect, by ballot, four vestrymen
from among the persons qualified to vote, including those whom