EMERSON C. HARRINGTON, GOVERNOR. 625
CHAPTER 245.

AN ACT to repeal Section 37 of Article 19 of the Code of Pub-
lic G-eneral Laws, title ''Comptroller" as amended by Chap-
ter 600 of the Acts of 1916, and to re-enact the same with
amendments.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Section 37 of Article 19 of the Code of Public Gen-
eral Laws, title "Comptroller" as amended by Chapter 600 of
the Acts of 1916 be, and the same is hereby repealed and re-
enacted so as to read as follows:

37. The Comptroller is authorized and empowered to ad-
just and settle the claims of the State against all collectors,
sheriffs, clerks of courts, registers of wills, and other collectors
or receivers of public money and their sureties, and against
corporations and individuals who may be indebted to the State
in all cases where said claims accrued prior to and including
the year 1916 and whether said claims be in the form
of judgment or otherwise, and for the purpose of closing all
such cases the Comptroller is fully authorized to compromise
the same by abating the interest that has accrued, or any por-
tion thereof, or any part of the principal debt, in his discretion,
so as best to subserve the interest of the State, and shall grant
discharge to said parties and their sureties upon the payment
into the Treasury of the amount required by him. to be paid in
settlement as aforesaid; the Comptroller shall be satisfied after
thorough examination into the claims that the same could not
be collected by the State by legal process; and further, that the
Governor and Treasurer for the time being shall each approve
in writing any such abatement before the same shall be effective;
and provided, further that no discharge or acquitance under
this section shall be effective unless the party or parties to be
benefited shall first pay the attorneys who shall have the case
in hand the legal fees and fees of clerks and sheriffs.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect from June 1st, 1918.

Approved April 10th, 1918