At a SESSION of the GENERAL ASSEMBLY 
    of MARYLAND, begun and held at the city of
    ANNAPOLIS, on Monday the fifth of November, in
    the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred
    and eighty-one, and ended the 22d day of January,
    seventeen hundred and eighty-two:  The following
    laws were enacted.

                    THOMAS SIM LEE, Esq; Governor.

    The commissioners of confiscated property are to lay out the lands belonging to the said works into
small farms, reserving entire as much of the water and ground as may be necessary to carry on the forges.
The residue of the stream they are to lay out into as many mill seats as conveniently may be, with a
proper quantity of land on each side.  They are to sell, for the purpose of redeeming black money, no
more of the property pledged than is necessary; and they are to sell the remainder for continental state
money, taking from each purchaser a bond, with two good sureties, for the payment of one third of the
consideration, with interest, on or before the 1st day of September, in each of the years 1782, 1783, and
1784.

    By imposing a tax of 45f on every £. 100 worth of private property.  For this tax red money is receivable
at par, black at two for one, continental state at three for one, and none of these, when paid into the
treasury, shall be re-issued.  Those certificates which the state has engaged to discount, are to be taken at
rates to be ascertained by the scale laid down for adjusting public debts.  Fresh pork is to be taken at
40f, beef on the hoof, adding the fifth quarter to the weight of net beef, at 33f4, salt pork at £. 6 for
each barrel containing 220lb. net, wheat at 7f6, fine wheat flour, in barrels, at 18f9 short hundred, with
allowance of 3f for the barrel, new transfer tobacco at 17f6, and new crop ditto at 22f6, with allowance
of four per cent. for cask, bar iron at £. 30 per ton.  A commissary is appointed for one year, to commence
on the 1st of January, whose duty it is to take care of public provisions, make purchases, and transport
the specifics agreeably to the orders of the executive, to whom, regularly once in four months, and whenever
at other times required, he shall render fair accounts of his transactions.  He is required to appoint
in each county, at least one deputy, whom he is to superintend, taking care to instruct him not to raise
the market.  For the conduct of this deputy he is to be answerable, and therefore he shall have power to
remove him at pleasure.  Before this commissary-general shall act, he is required to give bond, &c.  In
case of a vacancy in the office, the executive is to appoint another.  The allowance is £. 600 for travelling
expences, and a commission of three per cent. on beef, pork, wheat and flour, according to their
aforesaid estimated prices; and besides this, he is to be reimbursed all sums necessary expended in the
execution of his office, except for travelling expences.

    Any person charged with being a spy, or an emissary from the enemy, may be tried by a tribunal appointed
by the executive, composed of military or militia officers, whose sentence, if ratified by the governor,
may extend to take away his life.  The act passed under this title last session, was framed in
a hurry, and during an alarm, which was occasioned by the report of an extensive and dangerous conspiracy
in the back counties.  At that time there was a colour of necessity for depriving citizens in some
cases of the constitutional trial by jury, but at the time when this act was framed, the base machinations of
the enemy had been confounded, and many of the conspirators had been punished by a due course of law.
This act, notwithstanding, remained in force until the close of the war.  Happily no lives were taken
away by virtue of it, and no occasion occurred on which its legality was questioned in a constitutional
court of judicature.