ART. 16. ] LAND office.

179

2. The commissioner of the Land Office shall have power to ap-
point a clerk, who shall receive a salary of ten hundred dollars per
annum.

1872, c 289
Clerk to com-
missioner
Salary

3. The said commissioner may issue summons for witnesses to
testify in cases pending before him, and may compel their attend-
ance, and may order depositions to be taken in writing on reasona-
ble notice to the opposite party to be used in such cases.

Art 54, s 2
1782, c 38, s 11
Commissioner
may summon
and compel
attendance of
witnesses, etc

4. He shall keep a docket in the form of the dockets used in
courts of equity, of all disputed cases affecting the title to land,
transcripts of which shall be evidence of the proceedings thereon.

Id s 3
1853. c 415, s 2
Ducket of dis-
puted cases

5. All papers filed in disputed cases affecting the title to lands
shall, with the proceedings, adjudications and orders of the commis-
sioner of the Land Office, be duly recorded.

Id s 4
1853, c 415, s 2
Record of pro-
ceedings

6. The commissioner of the Land Office shall charge the same fees
for recording such papers and proceedings as the clerks of Circuit
Courts charge for similar services.

Id s 5
Const art 7, s 4
1853, c 415, s 2
Fees of com-
missioner

7. He shall keep a seal, and all process relating to proceedings
in the Land Office shall issue under the seal of the Land Office, at-
tested by the commissioner.

Id s 6
1853, c 415, s 3
Seal and pro-
cess.

8. He shall give bond to the State of Maryland with security to
be 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.

Id s 7
1853, c 415, s 5
Bond of com-
missioner

9. All moneys payable to the State on account of the public lands
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 account of all such pay-

Id s 8
Const art 7, s, 4.
1853, c 415, s 5
Moneys payable
on account of
public lands

ments in a book kept for the purpose, and shall account semi-annu-
ally with the comptroller on oath and pay over to the treasurer all
such moneys so received.

To account for

10. He shall record all certificates that may be returned to the
Land Office and issue patents thereon, as soon as they are ready for
patents.

Id s 9
1853, c 415, s 7
To record certif-
icates and issue
patents

11. Upon application in writing of any person claiming to be
entitled to any of the British confiscated lands sold by the commis-
sioners appointed under the authority of this State to preserve and
sell British confiscated property, the title to which still remains in
the State, and praying that title thereto may be granted to him, and
upon satisfactory proof submitted to the commissioner of the Land
Office that such applicant is entitled to receive title thereto, the said
commissioner shall issue a patent for such land to the person ap-
pearing to him to be entitled thereto

Id s 10
1780, c 45, 51,
1781, c 37, 1852,
c 361. s 1
To issue patents
for confiscated
lands

23 Md 211, 31
Md 113, 33 Md.
95, 43 Md 23

12. Before issuing any patent under the preceding section, the
said commissioner shall order the party applying therefor to cause
to be inserted in one or more newspapers published in the county or
city where the land lies, if there be a newspaper published therein,
at least once a week for three successive weeks, an advertisement
setting forth the object of the application, and describing therein

Id s 11
1852, c 361, S 1
Notice of appli-
cation to be
given