ODEN BOWIE, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR. 633

CHAPTER 359.
AN ACT to provide for the Erection of a True Me- ridian Line Standard in each County of this State and to provide for the Protection of the same. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland, That it shall he lawful for the County Commissioners of each county in the State, if they shall deem it expedient at any time after the pas- sage of this act, to cause to be erected at some pub- lic spot adjacent to the court-house of each county
two good and substantial stone pillars one hundred feet distant apart, the one from the other, and upon the same true meridian line. And upon the summit of one of the said pillars there shall be placed a distinctly visible needle-point; and upon the summit of the other there shall be erected a hair-sight, in such a manner that a straight line passing through the centre thereof and continued until the same shall strike the centre of the needle- point upon the other, shall be in and upon the line of the true meridian running north and south, and	Meridian marks.
they shall enclose and protect the same properly; the said pillars and enclosures to be subject to the custody of the county clerk, to be free to the access of any surveyor of lands or civil engineer residing in said county, or engaged in surveying therein, for the purpose of testing the variation of the com- pass for the time being and to cause the said me- ridian line to be verified at any time when required so to do by order of the Circuit Court of the said county and furthermore it shall be lawful for the said County Commissioners to cause to be deter-	To be protect- ed.
mined the accurate latitude and longitude of the pillars aforesaid, reckoning the latter from the meridian of Washington, and to have the same marked distinctly and legibly in degrees, minutes, seconds and parts of seconds on one of the pillars aforesaid.	Latitude and Longitude.
Sec. 2. And be it enacted, That the said County Commissioners shall provide and keep a standard measure of one rod in length, by which surveyors of lands in said county may compare, test and verify their several chains, the said standard mea- sure to be kept under control and in the custody	Standard measure.