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THOMAS SIM LEE, Esq; Governor.
mentioned, as authorised the commissioners appointed to preserve confiscated
British property to grant warrants, and to contract for the sale of
escheat lands,
shall be and is hereby repealed. |
1781.
CHAP.
XX. |
CHAP. XXI.
An ACT for the relief of Patrick Hamilton, John Page, Clement Beall,
Thomas
Williams, Benjamin Cawood, and Joseph Baxter, and
the several collectors of
the tax. PR. |
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CHAP. XXII.
An ACT to regulate public ferries. |
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BE it enacted,
by
the general assembly of Maryland, That the justices of the
several county courts be authorised and required, at their respective
March
courts, during the continuance of this act, to grant their licence
to any
inhabitant of their county to keep a public ferry, at any place within
their county
now used as such, if the said justices shall think that a public ferry
ought there
to be kept and established, and from such place to any other county,
or from this
to any other state; and every licence shall be renewed at every March
court during
the continuance of this act; and the said justices may, at any other
court
than March court, grant licence to any person not before licensed,
to continue
until the next March court thereafter; and if any person, after the
first day of
April next, shall presume to keep ferry, for hire or reward, without
obtaining licence
agreeable to this act, such person shall forfeit five pounds current
money
for every offence. |
Justices to
grant licences,
&c. |
II. And be it
enacted, That the justices of the several county courts shall, at
their respective March courts (or oftener if they think proper) ascertain
in current
money the price of ferriage for passengers and horses, and the several
kinds of
carriages (not allowing any thing for the baggage of passengers) at
every ferry by
them licensed; and the said justices shall direct how many and what
kind of boats
shall be kept, and what number of able bodied and skilful hands shall
be employed
in the boats at every ferry by them licensed, and the same shall be
expressed in
the licence; and every person keeping a public ferry shall keep, constantly
set up
in the most public part of his house, a copy of his licence, and the
prices allowed
him for ferriage, under the penalty of five pounds current money for
every day
such copy shall not be set up as required by this act; and if any licensed
ferry-keeper
shall ask or receive, directly or indirectly, more than the price allowed
for
ferriage, he shall, for every demand or receipt, forfeit twenty shillings
current
money; and every person, on obtaining licence, shall enter into recognizance,
in
the sum of fifty pounds current money, with two sufficient sureties,
conditioned,
that he will faithfully and diligently keep the ferry, for which he
shall obtain licence,
with such boats and hands as the justices granting the licence shall
direct,
from day-light to day-light from the first of November to the first
of March, and
from an hour before to an hour after day-light for the residue of the
year, and
that he will not charge or receive any greater price for ferriage than
allowed by
law; and every ferry-keeper shall pay to the clerk of the court for
taking such
recognizance, and making out his licence and a fair copy of the rates
of ferriage,
the sum of five shillings current money. |
To ascertain
the price of
ferriage, &c. |
III. And be
it enacted, If the proprietor of any place now used as a public
ferry, and which the justices of the county shall think proper to be continued,
shall neglect to take out licences agreeable to this act, or to rent such
ferry, with
the houses and land heretofore commonly used with, or necessary for, such
ferry,
to such person as the said justices shall approve, or be under any disability
to take
out licence or to rent as aforesaid, that in such case the said justices
shall issue
their warrant to the sheriff of their county, to summon twelve reputable
persons,
qualified by law to be jurymen, to meet on the premises, on a day to be
appointed,
to estimate, on oath, in current money, the annual value of the land, not
exceeding three acres, or including the dwelling-house or garden, orchard
or
meadow, more than sufficient for a road, of the owner or possessor, necessary,
and
most convenient in their judgment for the use of such ferry; and the sheriff
shall
make return of the inquest, together with a certificate of survey of the
said land |
May cause
land to be valued,
&c. |
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