858

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

or their agent or attorney and in case an appeal shall be

taken by any party other than the United States it shall be

accompanied by an affidavit of the party appellant or his 'or

their agent or attorney that the same is not taken for

the purpose of delay but because the affiant firmly believes

that injustice has been done and upon the filing of said

appeal the said court or a judge thereof shall make such

orders as may be necessary for the purpose of putting in

issue for trial by jury the amount of the fair value of all and

singular the estate or interest in the lands mentioned in the

report of said receivers ; provided, that the United States

may pay the costs and refuse to take the lands, if in its

judgment the compensation assessed therefor, either in the

report of the receivers or the verdict of the jury, is excessive.

SEC. 5. Be it further enacted, That should any State desire

Condem-

to acquire the lands occupied by any command from said

nation by
States.

State or said battle-fields, said lands not having been already

acquired by the United States, said State may acquire said

lands iu the same manner as has hereinbefore been pointed

out for the acquisition of lands by the United States ; and

lands so acquired shall be released from taxation as long as

they are held for historical and memorial purposes only, but

the State of Maryland shall not surrender jurisdiction in

civil and criminal processes to any other State, so far as con-

cerns any other lands so acquired.

SEC. 6. Se it further enacted, That any historical society,

or any society representing any organization or organizations

Who may

of troops engaged in said battles of Antietam or Monocacy

acquire
lands.

or either of them which society may have been incorporated

under the laws of the State of Maryland may acquire title or

lands occupied by said organizations in said battle-fields or

either of them iu the manner thereinbefore stated, provided

Proviso

that the United States shall have preference in such acquisi-

tion of lands and provided further, that any lands so acquired

shall be free from taxation as long as they are used exclusively

for historical or memorial purposes and no longer.

Approved April 7th, 1892.