ALLEGANY COUNTY. 491

missioners any surplus above the sum of two thousand dollars
in his hands, in such public bonds as said Commissioners may
direct, and to credit such fund with the interest derived there-
from; and upon the retirement from office or any disqualifica-
tion to act of such Treasurer the entire fund, including such
bonds, and the books and papers pertaining to such fund, shall
be delivered by such Treasurer to his successor in office, who
shall receipt for the same.

SEC. 8. All assignments¹ of claims for relief money provided
in this Act and all assignments of claims against any operator
for injuries received by an employee in the discharge of his
duty or for disability or death (provided such operator shall
not have been in default in compliance with the provisions of
this Act at the time of such injuries, disability and death)
shall be null and void, and said claims shall not be subject to
attachment, garnishment or other legal process.

SEC. 9. No suit or action shall lie or be brought or main-
tained against any operator for or in respect of the death of
any employee whose personal representatives shall have ac-
cepted the relief money provided for in this Act, and no such
suit or action shall be brought before the expiration of six
months from the date of the employee's death, nor while any
suit brought by the personal representative for such relief
money, is pending. In case any suit or action is brought
against any operator by any person claiming damages for or
in respect of injury or disability received in the discharge of
his duty as an employee of such operator, all right and claim
of such person to any payments out of the fund shall be there-
by forfeited. When any person claiming that he has sustained
injury or disability, shall accept any relief money, provided
for in this Act, for and in respect of such injury or disability
or shall commence any suit against the County Commissioners
for such relief money, the operator in whose employ such per-
son sustained the injury or disability shall be exempt from
liability therefor, and thereafter no suit or action shall lie or
be brought or maintained against such operator for or in re-
spect of such injury or disability or death resulting therefrom.
Provided, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to
cases, where the operator has been in default in compliance
with the provisions .of this Act at the time of the injury, dis-
ability or death.

SEC. 10. If any suit or action be brought against any
operator for or in respect of any injury or disability received
by an employee while in discharge of his duty or for death re-
suiting therefrom, including death from contact with mine
gases, and said operator shall appear and defend such suit or