836

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

offender before the passage of this act, then such offender may be-

proceeded against and punished as if this act had not been passed.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That if it shall be found by the said

returns of the judges of said election and proclamation of said

In force

clerk that a majority of said votes in said districts have been cast.

against prohibiting the taking or catching of oysters with scrapes

or dredges, that then, and in that event the laws regulating the

taking or catching of oysters in the waters of said county now in

force shall be and remain in full force and effect as though this

act had never passed.

Approved April 8, 1890.

CHAPTER 630.

AN ACT authorizing and empowering the clerk of the superior

court of Baltimore city to have copies made of certain ancient.

land record books in his custody; providing for the preserva-

tion of said land record books, and giving to said copies the

force of original land records.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,

That the clerk of the superior court of Baltimore city be and he

To copy

is hereby authorized and empowered to have fair and legible copies.

records.

made of such land record books in his custody of the classes and

description hereinafter named, as have become worn, mutilated or

illegible, that is to say : fifty-six volumes of the said land record

books, of a date prior to the year eighteen hundred; five volumes.

of the series of said land record books, known as "W. G.," and

eight volumes of the said land record books, of the series known

as "E. D."

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That a copy made in pursuance of

Validity of
originals.

the provisions of the preceding section, and compared and certified
under oath by the said clerk of the superior court of Baltimore

city, to be a true copy, shall have the same force and effect when

deposited among the said land records of said city, as if it were

an original record.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That the persons employed to make

Sworn.

such copies shall be sworn to the faithful discharge of their

duties, and shall certify the copies made by them as aforesaid,

and their compensation shall be the same as is now made to the

clerks in the office of the clerk of the superior court for recording,

and such compensation shall be made out of the surplus revenue

Compen-
sation

of the clerk of the superior court, or if such surplus revenue shall

be insufficient, then such compensation shall be made out of the

surplus revenue of the clerk of any other court in Baltimore city,