JOSEPH KENT, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR,

1826

enclosures, he, she or they shaft, upon conviction, pay to the
owner or owners thereof the full value of such stock, with costs
of suit, and in case the damages claimed or laid shall not exceed
fifty dollars, the same shall be recovered before a justice of the
peace, in the same manner as other small debts are now recover-
ed.

CHAP. 154.

CHAP. CLV.
A Further Supplement to an Act, entitled, And for the better regulat-
on of Apprentices.

WHEREAS it is represented to the general assembly, that un- ]
der the act of assembly passed at November session seventeen
hundred and ninety-four, entitled, A supplement to an act, en-
titled, An act for the better regulation of apprentices, justices
of the peace, remote from the seat of justice of the counties, and
unapprized of the orphans courts being in session, have, during
the sessions of said courts, bound out apprentices, agreeably to
the terms, regulations and restrictions, prescribed by the act to
which this is a further supplement; and it is right and proper,
and for the benefit of all parties, that the stipulations of the con-
tracts of apprenticeship so made, should be fulfilled; Therefore,

Passed 19, 1827

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That all contracts of apprenticeship, heretofore made by justices
of the peace as aforesaid, during the sessions of the orphans
courts of the county in which they reside, be and the same are
hereby confirmed and made valid ; Provided always, that this
act shall not be construed to extend to any contract of appren-
ticeship, so made as aforesaid, which shall not have been ap-
proved and recorded agreeably to the sixth section of the law, to
which this is af further supplement; And provided also, that said
contracts shall, in all other respects, be in conformity with the
terms, regulations and restrictions, of said original act, and of the
several supplements thereto.

Certain contracts
confirmed

Proviso.

2. And be it enacted, That at any time after the passage
of this act, any two justices of the peace of the county, in
which the person to be bound out may reside, shall, and they
are hereby empowered, to bind out as an apprentice any child
which the orphans court of such county may lawfully bind out,
subject to the terms, regulations and restrictions, prescribed by
the act of seventeen hundred and ninety-three, chapter forty-
five, and of the supplements thereto, to which this is a further

Two justices au-
thorised to bind
apprenticers

supplement; Provided always, that the contract of apprentice-
ship so made shall be approved and recorded agreeably to the
sixth section of the said law.
3. And whereas it is represented to this general assembly, that
the manner of binding apprentices in the several orphans courts
in this state is not uniform, and that certain of the said courts use
an instrument of writing in the nature of an indenture, and cer-
tain other of the said courts use an instrument in the nature of a
recognizance, as evidence of the said contract of apprenticeship,
in order therefore to prevent any inconveniencies which may

Proviso

hereafter arise therefrom, Be it enacted, That the several or-
phans courts of this state be and they are hereby authorised and
empowered, to use an instrument of writing in the nature of an

Evidence of con-

tract of appren-

ticeship