| 1784.
CHAP.
LXIX. |
LAWS of MARYLAND.
sentry-boxes, or other furniture thereof, every person so offending,
and being
convicted by the oath or affirmation of one or more credible witnesses
before any
commissioner or justice of the peace in said town, shall forfeit and pay
three
pounds for each and every such offence; and if any person shall, without
design,
or by accident, break, throw down or extinguish, any lamp aforesaid, or
damage
any of the said posts, irons or sentry-boxes, or other furniture, and,
having done
the same, shall fail of giving notice thereof to some one of the commissioners
or justices
in said town within twelve hours thereafter, he shall be liable to the
same
forfeiture as if the same had been wilfully and maliciously done; but if
timely
notice be by him given as aforesaid, he shall only pay such costs as in
the judgment
of the commissioner or justice will fully repair the damage done. |
Slaves offending
to be
whipped, &c. |
X. And be it
enacted, That if any slave be convicted of any of the offences
created by this act, he shall be whipped on his bare back not exceeding
thirty-nine
lashes, unless the owner of such slave will pay the fine or repair the
damage;
and if any person under age, bound servant or apprentice, be convicted
of incurring
any penalty or damage under this act, the parent, guardian or owner,
shall be obliged to pay the said penalty or damage, in the same manner
as if they
had incurred the same; and all fines incurred under this act shall
be recovered in
the same manner as debts under five pounds, and shall be appropriated towards
defraying the charges of the said lamps and watches. |
Persons sued
may plead the
general issue,
&c. |
XI. And be it
enacted, That if any person is sued for any thing done in pursuance
of this act, he may plead the general issue, and give this act and
the special
matter in evidence; and no persons shall be prosecuted for misbehaviour
or
neglect in the execution of this act, unless they are prosecuted within
six months
after such offence committed. |
Commissioners
may levy
money, &c. |
XII. And,
for the providing money for paying the wages of the constables
and watchmen herein before mentioned, and other charges incident to keeping
a
well regulated watch, and for enlightening the streets, lanes and alleys
aforesaid,
and for keeping the lamps in good order, Be
it enacted, That it shall and may
be lawful for the commissioners aforesaid, or a major part of them, to
meet at
such times and places as they shall think proper, to estimate, determine
and
judge, what sums of money shall be necessary to be levied and raised on
the inhabitants
of said town for answering the purposes intended by this act, and the
commissioners aforesaid, or major part of them, are hereby authorised and
directed,
to assess and levy a tax not exceeding one shilling and six-pence current
money on every hundred pounds worth of property assessed within the said
town;
which said tax shall be levied and collected in the same manner, and under
the
same rules and regulations, as the pubic tax. |
Property to be
rated as in
1783. |
XIII. And,
whereas the commissioners aforesaid will want immediate sums of
money to enter upon the execution of the powers vested in them in virtue
of this
act, Be it enacted, That it shall
and may be lawful for the said commissioners,
or a major part of them, to assess the tax for the present year upon the
valuation
of the property in the year seventeen hundred and eighty-three, and have
the
same collected as soon as may be, in order to answer the beneficial purposes
intended
by this act, and the county collector, after giving ten days notice, may
execute for the same; and the said collector shall give bond and good security
to
the said commissioners for the faithful execution of the said collection,
and he
shall have the same reward, and be subject to the same penalties, as
he is by law
for the collection of the public taxes. |
Money appropriated,
&c. |
XIV. And,
whereas the tax aforesaid may not b sufficient for the purposes
aforesaid, Be it enacted, That the
two shillings and six-pence imposed on property
within the said town by the act, entitled, An act for the more effectual
paving the streets of Baltimore-town, in Baltimore county, and for other
purposes,
and to be collected in seventeen hundred and eighty-five, together with
the
money arising from the auctioneer's office in said town in seventeen hundred
and
eighty-five, shall be appropriated and applied to the purposes of this
act. |
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