2174 UNITED STATES. [ART. 96

1904, art. 96, sec. 5. 1888, art. 96, sec. 5. 1S74, ch. 395, sec. 1.

5. Whenever the United States are desirous of purchasing or pro-
curing the title to any tract, piece or parcel of land within the bounda-
ries or limits of this State, for the purpose of erecting thereon any light-
house, beacon-light, range-light, light-keeper's dwelling, forts, maga-
zines, arsenals, dock-yards, buoys, public piers, or necessary public
buildings or improvements connected therewith, and cannot agree with
the owner thereof as to the price and for the purchase thereof; or if
the owner he feme covert, under age, non compos mentis or out of the
county wherein the said land lies, or for any other cause is incapable of
making a perfect title to said lands, the United' States, by any agent
authorized under the hand and seal of any member of the president's
cabinet, may apply by petition in writing to the circuit court for the
county where the land lies; which petition shall be filed with the clerk
of said court, to have the said land condemned for the use and benefit
of the United States; and any such agent of the United States may,
for the purpose of ascertaining its bounds and quantity, enter upon
the lands, without injury thereto, which the United States may desire
to purchase for any of the purposes aforesaid.

Ibid. sec. 6. 1888, art. 96, sec. 6. 1874, ch. 395, sec. 2.

6. Said petition shall state the bounds and quantity of the land to
which the United States desire to obtain title and the public purposes
for which said land is desired; and the names of the owner or owners
thereof, and where they respectively reside, and whether they are adults
or under age, and whether married or single, or non, compos mentis; if
said facts are known to the agent filing said petition, or if said agent
does not know any fact which he is hereinbefore required, if known to
him, to state, he shall state in said petition that he does not know said
fact.

Ibid. sec. 7. 1888, art. 96, sec. 7. 1874, ch. 395, sec. 3.

7. Every such petition must be verified by an affidavit to be taken
before the clerk of said court, and annexed thereto, of the said agent
of the United States, that the statements therein contained are true
to the best of his knowledge and belief; and where said petition shall
state that it is unknown where any such owner resides or whether he
is an adult or under age, married, single, or non compos mentis, the
said agent shall further make affidavit that he has used all reasonable
efforts to ascertain the fact or facts stated in said petition to be
unknown by him, and has failed to ascertain them.

Ibid. sec. 8. 1888, art. 96, sec. 8. 1874, ch. 395, sec. 4.

8. Upon the said petition, verified as aforesaid, being filed in the
office of said clerk, it shall be the duty of said clerk to give notice of
the substance and object of said petition by printed notice, to be pub-
lished once a week for three months in some newspaper printed in the
city of Baltimore, and also by like notice, to be published as aforesaid.