ART. 54] POWEES AND DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER. 1,319

1904, art. 54, sec. 10. 1888. art. 54, sec. 8. 1862, ch. 208.

10. He shall have charge of the records of the court of chancery
and the ante-revolution papers now in the chancery office.

Ibid. sec. 11. 1888, art. 54, sec. 9. 1860, art. 52, sec. 4. 1854, ch. 149, sec. 3.

11. He may certify copies and proceedings of the court of chan-
cery in his posession and where such certificates are required to be
under seal, he shall affix his seal of office; and he shall be entitled to
the same fees and compensation for such services as the clerks of the
circuit courts are entitled to for similar services.

Ibid. sec. 12. 1888, art. 54, sec. 10. 1860, art. 54, sec. 7. 1853, ch. 415, sec. 5.

12. He shall give bond to the State with security to he approved by
the governor and kept in the State department in the penalty of two
thousand dollars for the faithful performance of the duties of his office.

Ibid. sec. 13. 1888, art. 54, sec. 11. 1860, art. 54, sec. 8. 1853, ch.
415, sec. 5. 1894, ch. 191. 1900, ch. 318.

13. All moneys payable to the State on account of the public lands
and all fees shall be paid to the commissioner of the land office, whose
receipts therefor shall be a good acquittance to the party paying the
same; and the said commissioner shall keep an accurate account of all
such payments in a book kept for the purpose, and shall account semi-
annually on the thirty-first day of March and the thirtieth day of Sep-
tember with the comptroller, on oath, and pay over to the treasurer all
such moneys so received; and twenty-five per cent, of such moneys so
received the treasurer shall pay over on warrant of the comptroller semi-
annually to the commissioner of the land office.

Ibid. sec. 14. 1888, art. 54, sec. 12. 1860. art. 54, sec. 9.
1853, ch. 415, sec. 7.

14. He shall record all certificates that may be returned to the
land office and issue patents thereon so soon as they are ready for
patents.

Ibid. sec. 15. 1888, art. 54. sec. 13. 1874, ch. 66.

15. He shall have custody of all books containing deeds and trans-
fers of soldiers' lots and all other land record books and papers, includ-
ing extracts of deeds transferred to him by the clerk of the court of
appeals under the act of 1874, chapter 66, and of all the other extracts
of deeds which shall be hereafter received by him, and shall give certi-
fied copies of such deeds and extracts and make searches for the same
when so required, and shall receive and retain therefor fees at the same
rate now charged for copies of and searches for other papers in his
office.*

The legislature can not take away from the commissioner fees belonging
to him after they have been earned. Scharf v. Tasker, 73 Md. 385.

*By the act of 1908, ch. 606, the commissioner of the land office is directed to
have transcribed or rebound such records in his custody as may require the
same, and an appropriation is made therefor.