ARCHIVIST OF THE HALL OF RECORDS 45

which is hereby made the official custodian of such papers,
records and documents, with full power to certify the same as
provided in Section 127. Every Clerk of Court, Register of
Wills, or other public official, now having custody of said papers,
records and documents, is hereby directed to transfer the same
to said Hall of Records Commission and upon making such trans-
fer, every such Clerk, Register of Wills or other official is hereby
relieved from any duties or responsibilities in connection there-
with.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect June 1, 1945.

Approved March 16, 1945.

CHAPTER 896.

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 127
of Article 41 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1939
Edition), title "Governor—Executive and Administrative
Departments," sub-title "Hall of Records Commission", pro-
viding for the photostatic or photographic reproduction of
certain land records and the deposit thereof in the offices
of the clerks of courts.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That Section 127 of Article 41 of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1939 Edition), title "Governor—Executive and
Administrative Departments", be and it is hereby repealed and
re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

127. Every State, county, city, town or other public official
in the State in custody of public records or documents is hereby
authorized and empowered, in his discretion, to turn over to the
Commission and deposit for preservation any original papers,
official books, records, documents, files, newspapers, printed
books, or portraits, not in current use in his office, and when so
surrendered, and accepted by the Commission, copies may be