480

LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1802.

politic or corporate, and shall also, by their respective names or
titles, have absolute property in all books, plate or other orna-
ments, and all goods and chattels, belonging to the said church,
society, or congregation, whether the same have been given,
granted or devised, directly to the said church, society or con-

Proviso.

gregation, or to any person in trust for them; Provided, that
the person or persons holding lands, or goods and chattels, in
trust for any particular church or society as aforesaid, shall vo-
luntarily make over, by indenture proper for that purpose, to the
trustees or body corporate of such particular church or society,
such lands or chattels, for the use and benefit of such church,
society or congregation.

May pur-
chase land,
and receive
money.

SEC. 8. And be it enacted, That all and every the said corpo-
ration or trustees, established or to be established in virtue of
this act, and their successors, shall be capable in law to purchase
and hold, in fee simple, a quantity of land, not exceeding two
acres, for the use of any one church, society or congregation, by
gift or grant of any person or persons, or bodies politic, capable
in law to make the same, provided such gift or grant be made
by indenture, duly executed and recorded agreeably to law, and
in no other manner whatever ; and also that every the said body
corporate, and their successors, or a majority of them, severally,
by their respective name, may take and receive any sum or
sums of money, any kind, manner or portion, of goods and
chattels, that shall be sold or given to them as aforesaid by any
person or persons, bodies politic or corporate, capable in law to
make a gift or sale thereof, and employ the same for the benefit
and use of the particular church, society or congregation, where-
unto they respectively belong, as a body politic or corporate ;

Provisos.

Provided, that all and every gift, grant, bargain, sale, or deed
of transfer, made by any person or persons, and not intended to
take effect and vest in any religious body or corporation during
the life of the giver, grantor or seller, but to become their right
and property after his, her or their decease, shall be utterly null,
void, and of no effect; And provided also, that the clear yearly
value of the estates, rents, annuities, or other hereditaments, of
any church, society or congregation, thus incorporated, shall
not amount to more than the clear yearly value of two thousand
dollars, and all gifts, grants, sales and transfers, to any the said
corporations, or their successors, after the clear yearly value of
their estate shall amount to two thousand dollars, and all bar-
gains and purchases to be made by any of them, which may
increase the yearly value of the said estates above and beyond
the standard here fixed, shall be utterly null, void, and of no
effect.
By 1815, ch. 222, permission is given to hold in fee simple, or for any
less estate, any lands, rents or annuities, by gift, bargain, sale or devise,