946 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [Ch. 640]

Washington, D. C., to Gettysburg, in the State of Pennsyl-
vania ; and,

WHEREAS, Said memorial highway or boulevard, if constructed
will traverse some of the counties of the State of Maryland;
and,

WHEREAS, The State of Maryland is now the owner of a State
road or highway in Frederick county, Maryland, running
from a point near Frederick City to Emmitsburg, in Fred-
erick county, a distance of twenty-one miles, more or less;
and,

WHEREAS, Said State road is on a natural route, through a his-
toric section of Maryland, teeming with events connected with
the War of 61-'65 and is the natural route of all travel to the
historic battle field of Gettysburg; and,

WHEREAS, Said State road will constitute a good portion of the
distance between Washington and Gettysburg and would, if
donated or ceded to the United States Government serve the
purpose of providing a large amount of the highway with-
out cost to said United States Government and at the same
time relieve the State of Maryland from the necessity of
keeping in repair said State road and thus enable this money
to be devoted to improvements in other portions of the State;
therefore,

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That the Governor of Maryland be and he is hereby
authorized and empowered to cede to the United States Govern-
ment the State road running from Worman's Mill, in Fred-
erick county, to Emmitsburg, in said Frederick county, a dis-
tance of twenty-one miles, more or less, said State road or
highway, any State road or highway in any county, to be used
by said United States Government, for the purpose of con-
structing thereon a boulevard or national highway as a memo-
rial to Abraham Lincoln, should said United States Govern-
ment decide to build said boulevard over said route.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That power to condemn any
highways, roads, toll-roads or rights of any way where no satis-
factory road exists or where existing road is desired to be
widened or straightened, or to condemn any property, right, or
facility necessary for the purposes of such Memorial Highway
in any county or counties of this State, either in construction.