GEORGE HOWARD, ESQ. GOVERNOR.

18311

the same, when so recorded, shall be binding and have the
same effect in law, to all intents and purposes, as if the
original paper or record thereof had not been burnt.

CHAP. 175.

Wade valid.

Sec. 7. And be it enacted, That in all cases where slaves
have been imported or brought into this State, by virtue of
an act, entitled, An act relating to negroes, and to repeal
the acts of assembly therein mentioned, passed at December
session, seventeen hundred andl ninety-six, and the supple-
ments thereto, and the list of such slaves required to be de-
livered to the clerk of the county, and the record of the
same, have been destroyed, it shall and may be. lawful for
any such person or persons interested in perpetuating the
same, to make application, in writing, to any one of the
commissioners aforesaid, who shall proceed to take such
testimony as the nature of the case will admit of, to estab-
lish the existance and record of such list, so as aforesaid
recorded and destroyed; and the said commissioner shall

Testimony as to
slaves removed.

make return of his proceedings to the clerk of Saint Mary's
county court, who shall record the same as aforesaid, at the
expense and costs of the party requiring the same; and the

Record thereof.

same, when so recorded, shall be binding and have the same
effect in law to all intents and purposes, as if the original
list or entry and record thereof had not been destroyed.

Made valid.

Sec. 8. And be it enacted, That in all cases when the
judgment or equity records, and the original papers thereto
belonging, shall have been destroyed, the docket entries,

Judgments and
equity records.

and short copies of judgments and decrees taken from the
dockets of the county court aforesaid, under the seal of Saint
Mary's county court, with a certificate that the record and
papers in the case have been destroyed, shall be received
and admitted in evidence in any court of law or equity in
this State.

Short copies
and docket entrties
made valid.

Sec. 9. And be it enacted, That the clerk of the Court of
Appeals for the western shore, cause to be made to all the
extracts of deeds sent from Saint Mary's county court to
his office, an alphabet or alphabets, in the name of all the
parties, and in the name of the lands; and that the governor

A record of ex-
tracts of deeds &c
in court of appeals
Office to be made
out.

and council be, and they are hereby authorised to allow him
such compensation as he is entitled to, for the like services,
to be paid out of any unappropriated money in the treasury.

Authority to com-
pensate the clerk
therefor.

Sec. 10. And be it enacted, That the clerk of Saint Ma-
ry's county court be, and he is hereby required to have all
the dockets now remaining in his office, bound in good sub-
stantial leather covers, in such manner as he may think pro-
per, for the better preservation of the only evidence now in

Dockets to be
bound and pre-
served.

saint Mary's county court, of the judicial proceedings of
said court; and that the levy court of the county aforesaid,

Levy therefor.