488

LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1603.

Contracts
made with
master of a
vessel in
distress to
be void.

SEC. 22. And be it enacted, That all contracts made between
the master of any vessel in distress and any pilot shall be void,
but the pilot shall be entitled to a reasonable reward for his aid
and services rendered.

How va-

cancies in
board of
examiners
are to be

filled.

SEC. 23. And be it enacted, That if any of the said board
of examiner* shall die, resign, refuse to act or remove from the
said city, or be otherwise rendered incapable to act, the remain-
ing examiners, or a majority of them, shall fill up such vacan-
cy, provided that they shall so regulate their appointments as to
have at least' one member of the board a person skilled in the
business of piloting.

Commence*
ment of act.

SEC. 24 And be it enacted, That this act shall commence on
the first day of February, eighteen hundred and four, and shall
continue in force until the congress of the United States of
America shall take cognizance of the subject.
By an act of congress of 1789, ch. 9, it was enacted, that all pilots in
the bays, &c. of the United States, should continue to be regulated by the
laws of the states, until further provision hy congress; which has not been
made.

Foreign
vessels
obliged to
take a pilot.

SEC. 25. And be it enacted, That all vessels belonging to
persons not citizens of any of the United States, which shall
hereafter arrive from sea at any port or ports in this state, shall
be obliged to take a pilot, (in case any one offers,) and pay one-
third additional pilotage in addition to the fees allowed by this
act, and if the captain of such vessel shall refuse to take such
pilot on application, he shall notwithstanding be answerable for,
and liable to pay, such pilotage, in the same manner as if the
service was performed.

Penalty for
neglecting
to renew
warrants.

SEC. 26. And, for an inducement to pilots to pay attention to
renew their warrants annually in the months of April and May
in every year, Be it enacted, That such pilot or pilots who shall
neglect to renew as aforesaid, shall, after the first day of June
in every year, pay double fees for a renewal of their warrants,
unless prevented by sickness, or being carried out to sea.

Board
competent
to decide
all matters
relative to
this act.

SEC. 27. And be it enacted, That the aforesaid board of ex-
aminers shall be competent to determine, decide and adjudge,
all and every matter relative to this act, whether penalty or dis-
pute, within three days after application by the complainants.

Acts
repealed.

SEC. 28. And be it enacted, That an act, entitled, an act to
establish pilots, and to regulate their fees, passed November ses«

* Chap. 26.

sion, seventeen hundred and eighty-seven,* and the supplement
thereto, passed at November session, seventeen hundred and

t Chap. 27.

ninety , t so far as the same is provided for by this act, be and
the same is hereby repealed.