1092

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

happen that there is no resident constable in any one or more

of the several districts of said county it shall be the duty of

the County Commissioners to appoint one of the constables

at large for said county to perform the duties herein provided

to be performed by the constables in the several districts, with

instructions within which time they must report ; and the consta-

bles shall each receive the sum of ten cents for each dog, bitch

or spayed bitch reported to the County Commissioners of said

county for taxation, to be paid out of said fund received from

the taxes collected from the owners of dogs and bitches; and

Providing

it shall be the duty of the County Commissioners to provide

for licensed

and furnish to the Treasurer of the county a sufficient number

dogs.

of tags of metal, to be numbered with a number or device by

which the same can be identified, to be furnished to the owner

of the animal by the Treasurer, when the taxes are paid, and

to be placed by the owner of the dog or bitch on the collar for

the purpose of identification and protection.

100C. That whenever any person shall sustain any loss or

Loss or dam-

damage to sheep by a dog, bitch or spayed bitch in any election

age to sheep.

district in said county, such person, his or her agent or attorney,

may complain to any justice of the peace in said district, and

if there be no justices of the peace in said district, then to a jus-

tice of the peace in one of the adjoining districts, in writing,

to be signed by the person making such complaint, stating

therein when, where and how much damage was done, and by

whose dog or dogs, if known; whereupon the said justice of

the peace so called upon shall notify the Treasurer of said

county of said claims, and shall at once summon two disin-

terested persons to at once examine into the alleged loss or

damage alleged to have been sustained, and to look at the

sheep killed or injured, if possible; and they shall examine,

under oath administered in due form by said justice, any wit-

nesses called before them; and after making diligent inquiry

in relation to such claim, they shall report the same in writing

to said justice, and said justice shall report in writing to the

Treasurer of said county whether any such damage has been

sustained, and the amount thereof, and the name of the owner

or keeper of such dog or dogs, if known, by which said dam-

age was done ; and if the owner of said dog or dogs shall im-

mediately kill said dog, then said owner shall be exempted from

any claim on account of said sheep and the cost thereof; and

such report so made by said justice shall be filed with the

County Commissioners, together with the affidavits and names

of all the parties who were called as witnesses to the killing of