EMERSON C. HARRINGTON, GOVERNOR. 1183

of said Article, or by proceedings taken under Section 96B
thereof, and the oysters belonging to such lessees,. located on
such areas, should be condemned by the State of Maryland for
the use of the public.

AND WHEREAS proceedings under the said section have been
taken by the State to condemn the leasehold interests in cer-
tain areas or lots, and judgments have been rendered in said
condemnation proceedings.

AND WHEREAS the interests of the State require that the
said areas or lots should not be taken by the State at the
amounts of said respective judgments,, and the said claims have
been presented to the Comptroller of the Treasury, together
with the proofs upon which the same are founded, and he has
so reported.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That the Board of Public Works be and it hereby is
authorized and empowered to effect a compromise and settle-
ment of any or all of the judgments rendered in the proceed-
ings aforesaid, for such amount or amounts as in the opinion
of the Board of Public Works, may be fair, reasonable and
proper, and in the event of such compromise and settlement of
any or all of said judgments, then the amount necessary to pay
the same is hereby appropriated out of any funds in the treas-
ury not otherwise appropriated, and the Treasurer, on warrant
of the Comptroller, is authorized and directed to pay the same;
provided that the whole amount of said warrant of the Comp-
troller shall not exceed the sum of $75, 000. 00.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That if the said. Board
of Public Works is unable to compromise and settle any or all
of said Judgments for an amount which, in its opinion, is fair,
reasonable and proper, as aforesaid, then and in this event the
said Board is authorized and empowered, on behalf of the
State, to abandon the condemnation proceedings in which such
judgment o>r judgments which cannot be so compromised and
settled were rendered, and in this event the Attorney General
of the State shall cause the proper entries to be made in each
of the proceedings so abandoned, for the dismissal, non-pros
and discontinuance thereof, and for the release of the respective
judgments rendered therein.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted. That this Act shall take
effect on the first day of June, 1916.

Approved April 18th, 1916.