TESTAMENTARY LAW 3471

summons, process, or order of the court and shall in every respect act
under their control and direction as the clerk of a court of law is under
the direction of such court of law; and he shall give out and certify under
the seal of the court any copy of any part of the proceedings in the court
or in his office which any person may demand, and he shall be entitled to
payment for any service done by him according to the table of fees now or
hereafter settled by law.

This section referred to in deciding that a verbal order of court authorizing an invest-
ment is not sufficient under sec. 251. Carlysle v. Carlysle, 10 Md. 448.

An administration account is required to be recorded by this section. Mitchell v.
Mitchell, 1 Gill, 82. As to vouchers upon which account is passed and also as to a
will, see Randall v. Hodges, 3 Bl. 480.

1939, ch. 683.

277. The Register of Wills in each County and the City of Baltimore
shall immediately upon the probate of any will, send a registered letter to
each devisee and legatee mentioned in said will, notifying said devisee
and legatee that he or she has been named as a devisee or legatee in
said will. Provided, however, that the Register of Wills shall not be
required to send such registered letter when the address of the devisee
or legatee cannot be ascertained; and provided further, however, that
the failure to send such registered letter shall not impair or affect the
validity of such acts as may be performed by the executor in the per-
formance of his duties in administering the decedent's estate.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 276. 1912, sec. 267. 1908, ch. 34.

278. Each register of wills in this State shall be required to keep a
proper docket showing the grant of letters testamentary or of administra-
tion and a short entry of every paper or proceedings filed in the orphans'
court of his city or county, and every order of courts or register setting
forth the nature of such paper or proceedings, with the proper reference
to the place of recording the same, similar in every respect to the dockets
as now required by law to be kept in the several offices of the equity courts
of this State, and in addition to any books or dockets now required by law
to be kept, and which additional docket shall be subject to the same super-
vision by State officials as other dockets now are; and the register of wills
is hereby authorized to charge, tax and collect for each entry made thereon
at the same rates as clerks of courts of equity throughout this State are
now authorized to tax costs and collect therefor, and to account for such
collection to. the state comptroller. And be it further enacted, that this
law shall take effect from the first day of June, A. D. 1908; provided,
however, that nothing in this section contained shall in any manner be ap-
plicable to any papers, proceedings or orders to be filed or had in any
estate, the administration of which is now pending or which may be pending
prior to the said first day of June, but the same be proceeded with and
concluded in accordance with the practice now in force in the orphans'
court.

Failure of docket to show that court fixed penalty of bond under sec. 44. See notes
to sec. 44. State v. Talbott, 148 Md. 80.

An. Code, 1924. sec. 277. 1912, sec. 268. 1904, sec. 265. 1888, sec. 261. 1798, ch. 101,

sub-ch. 15, sec. 10.

279. He shall attend his office daily in person or by deputy unless pre-
vented by sickness, accident or necessity for the dispatch of office busi-