LLOYD LOWNDES, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

supplies and material furnished to said company since the year
1877, some of whom have reduced their claims to judgment,
while others hold only open accounts, all of said debts being
still owing and wholly unpaid; and

225

WHEREAS, A large majority of said claimants are poor per-
sons, to whom the loss of their claims would be a great hard-
ship, and it is but proper that the State of Maryland should,
as far as possible, protect and save them from this loss; and

Preamble.

WHEREAS, Said canal company is also indebted to various
persons for labor done and materials furnished in and about
the building and construction of said canal west of dam No. 6
to Cumberland, prior to 1877, which said persons reduced their
claims to judgments and have revived the same from time to
time, so that the same are now valid and subsisting claims
against said company; and

Preamble.

WHEREAS, Said judgment creditors would equitably be en-
titled to a lien in the nature of a mechanics' lien on the works
of the company which their labor and means constructed, and
said recent labors are equitably entitled to priority in payment
of their claims over all lien holders of all kinds, and it is but
just and right that the State of Maryland should recognize
these liens and priorities and protect said creditors so far as it
can, therefore, be it enacted as follows :

Preamble.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That the State of Maryland does hereby waive all its
liens by way of mortgage or otherwise, upon all property and
the tolls and revenues of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Com-
pany, in favor of all claims against said company for work
and labor done and material furnished in, upon and about said
canal for said company between January 1, 1877, and January
1, 1890, and also in favor of all valid and subsisting judgments
against said company now on record in any court of Taw or
equity in this State, or upon the dockets of any of the justices
of the peace thereof, but nothing herein shall be construed as
a waiver by this State of its liens in favor of any claims against
said canal company for labor done or materials furnished said
company prior to January 1, 1877, unless the same were or
had been reduced to judgments which were valid, subsisting
and unpaid at the date of the order of the court placing the
property of said canal in the possession of the trustees now
holding the same.

15

Waiver of
State's liens
upon O. & O.
Canal.