1803.

NOVEMBER. LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAP.
LXIV.

the party interested, or his or her legal representative, shall have the same remedy for the recovery
thereof as herein before directed for the recovery of the said original damages.

When to begin
the work, &c.

XVI. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the persons incorporated by this act shall begin the work
aforesaid as soon as the sum of five thousand dollars shall be subscribed, and carry on the same with
diligence till it shall be completed, according to the directions of this act, within five years, and on
failure or neglect to perform the same within the time aforesaid, this act to be null and void and of
no effect

When toils
may be collect-
.ed,'&.c.

XVII. AND BE IT ENACTED, That as soon as the company incorporated as aforesaid shall make
it appear, to the satisfaction of the county court of Worcester county, that there is a complete and
safe navigation for vessels drawing at least five feet water from Saint-Martin's river or Sinepuxent
bay to the Atlantic ocean, through the said contemplated inlet, then and not before shall said com-
pany proceed to collect the tolls as aforesaid directed by this act; and should complaint be at any
time made to the county court aforesaid, stating the insufficiency of the navigation of said contem-
plated inlet, it shall and may be lawful for said county court to make such inquiry as they may deem
right and proper for the true ascertainment of the alleged facts, and if found true, they shall have
full power and authority to suspend the collection of said tolls, until it shall be made appear to their
satisfaction that the navigation of said inlet is such as this law directs and requires.

CHAP. LXV.

Passed 7th of
January, 1804.

An ACT to ratify an amendment to the constitution of the United
States of America, proposed by congress to the legislatures of the
several states.

Preamble,

WHEREAS it is provided by the fifth articte of the constitution of the United States of Ame-
rica, that congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall pro-
pose amendments to the said constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of
the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be
valid to all intents and purposes as part of the said constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of
three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the
other mode of ratification may be proposed by the congress: And whereas at the first session of the
eighth congress of the United States, begun and held at the city of Washington, in the territory of
Columbia, on Monday the seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and three, it was resolved as followeth, to wit: Resolved by the senate and house of re-
presentatives of the United States of America, in congress assembled, two thirds of both houses
concurring, that in lieu of the third paragraph of the first section of the second articte of the con-
stitution of the United States, the following be proposed as an amendment to the constitution of
the United States, which, when ratified by three fourths of the legislatures of the several states,
shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the said constitution, to wit: The electors shall
meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for president and vice-president, one of whom at
least shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots
the person voted for as president, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as vice-president, and
they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as president, and of all persons voted for as
vice-president, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and
transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the president of the
senate; the president of the senate shall, in the presence of the senate and house of representa-
tives, op.en all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted; the person having the greatest
number of votes for president shall be the president, if such number be a majority of. the whole num-
ber of electors appointed, and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the
highest numbers, not exceeding three, on the list of those voted for as president, the house of re-
presentatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the president, but in choosing the president the
votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this
purpose shall consist of a member or members from two thirds of the states, and a majority of all
the states shall be necessary to a choice; and if the house of representatives shall not choose a pre-
sident, whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next
following, then the vice-president shall act as president, as in the case of the death, of other con-
stitutional disability, of the president; the person having the greatest number of votes as vice-
president, shall be the vice-president, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors
appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the, two highest numbers on the list the se-
nate shall choose the vice-president; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two thirds of the