LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1820;

725

land and Virginia, nor to prevent oysters taken from any part of
the said rivers or creeks thereof, from being transported to any
place whatsoever ; And provided also, that nothing in this act
contained shall be so construed as to prevent any person, resid-
ing in Washington county, in the District of Columbia, from
using the waters of Maryland as fully and freely as any citizen
of Maryland is authorized by law to do.

CHAPTER 33.

AN ACT ceding to the United States the jurisdiction of the State of Maryland
in, to and over certain lands on North Point, and Bodkin Island, at the
mouth of the River Patapsco, and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, by an act of congress of the United States of
March the third eighteen hundred and nineteen, and an act of
May the fifteenth eighteen hundred and twenty, authorizing the
building, erecting, &c. light-houses, on the Bodkin and North
Point in the state of Maryland, and elsewhere : and whereas it
has been represented to this legislature, by the agent of the
United States for the erection of the light-houses aforesaid, that
difficulties have been opposed to the execution of the work
aforesaid by the proprietor of North Point, in refusing to dispose
of the quantity of land required at a fair and reasonable rate, but
demanding an extortionate sum for the land aforesaid : and
whereas this legislature duly appreciating the great advantages
emanating from the erection of light-houses, and particularly
where the navigation is attended with so much difficulty and
danger as at the entrance of the river Patapsco, and desirous to
promote all in their power to the completion of so desirable an
object.

Preamble.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Thomas Sweeting, James P. Soper, Charles Wirgman,
Abner Linthicum, and Stephen S. Johns, be and they are
hereby appointed commissioners, with power to fill vacancies in
their own body, to fix and determine the value of certain land
required by the United States for the erection of light- houses on
North Point, as authorized by the laws of congress of the third
of March eighteen hundred and nineteen, and the fifteenth of
May eighteen hundred and twenty ; and they, or a majority of
them, are hereby, upon giving at least ten days notice in one or
more of the public papers in the city of Baltimore, authorized to
value and assess the same, taking into consideration the advan-
tages or disadvantages attendant upon the erecting the light-
houses aforesaid, on the land aforesaid, and including in said
valuation a reasonable allowance for the use and privilege of a
road from the land aforesaid through the lands of the said pro-
prietor or proprietors, as the road now exists, towards the public
road leading thence to the city of Baltimore ; and the decision

Commis-
sioners ap-
pointed to
determine
value of
lands, &c.