1804.

NOVEMBER. LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAP.
XXVI.

Commissioners
may enact ordi-
nances, &c.

II. BE IT ENACTED, by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the said commissioners of Bridge
town, in Kent county, and Sand-town, in Queen-Anne's county, shall have full power and authority-
to enact and pass all such ordinances and by-laws as they may deem necessary to prevent and remove
nuisances, to prohibit the running of horses, or driving of carts, waggons or other carriages, unrea-
sonably fast within the limits of the said towns; to restrain or prohibit excessive gaming; to prohi-
bit the firing of guns or pistols in the streets or prescribed limits of the said towns; to prevent the
storage of gunpowder, or the accumulation of other combustible matter or article, in such quantities
or places within the said towns respectively as may be deemed dangerous to the safety of the same;
to ascertain and lay down, or to aid, assist or direct, in ascertaining, laying down, meting and
bounding, the limits of the said towns; and to provide for improving and amending the streets, lanes
and alleys, of the same; to make, or cause to be made, a fair and just assessment and valuation of
the real and personal property within the limits of the said towns annually, for the improvement of
the said towns, and other purposes herein mentioned, and the said commissioners may appoint some
suitable discreet person to make such assessment or valuation as aforesaid, and levy a tax on said real
and persona] property in just and fair proportion, according to valuation as aforesaid ;. provided, that
the whole of the said sum or sums of money levied so as aforesaid shall not exceed, in any one year,
the sum of sixty dollars; to make such ordinances and regulations as shall be necessary for levying
and collecting annually a tax of fifty cents on every dog within the limits of said towns; to impose
such finies, penalties or forfeitures, for a breach of any of the by-laws, or ordinances as they
may think proper, not exceeding three dollars for any one offence; to pass all ordinances necessary
to give effect and operation to all the powers hereby vested in the commissioners, provided that the
by-laws or ordinances of the said commissioners shall not in anywise contravene the laws of the state
or of the United States.

Appoint a bai-
lif &c.

III. AND B.E IT ENACTED, That the commissioners may appoint and qualify an active and dis-
creeL person annually, to be bailiff of the said towns, and to give him such directions in the execu-
tion of his office as shall be necessary to accomplish the objects of this act, and before he shall pro-
ceed to the execution of his office, he shall take an oath, or affirmation before the said commissioners,
that he will faithfully and impartially perform the duties required of him as bailiff of the said towns
by this act, according to his skill and judgment, and without favour, affection or prejudice; and the
duties of said bailiff shall be to attend the meetings of the said commissioners whenever he shall be
so required, to perform such services for the more effectually accomplishing the objects of this act as
shall be directed by the said commissioners, to prevent the tumultuous and irregular meetings of
slaves, or of free negroes or mulattoes, within the limits of the said towns, or if so assembled, to
disperse them by reasonable and lawful means, and also to punish, by moderate correction, all such
negroes, or other slaves, as shall be found cursing and swearing profanely in the streets, or strolling
about or frequenting the houses of other persons in unseasonable hours of the night.

May hold the
election, &c.

IV. AND BE IT ENACTED, That if no justice of the peace is present at the time of holding the an-
nual election for commissioners, the commissioners, or a majority of them, may hold the said electr-
on; and in case any circumstance should prevent the election of commissioners being held on the
first Monday of March in every year, according to the act to which this is a supplement, it may be
lawful for the commissioners, or a majority of them for the time being, to appoint another day, as
soon thereafter as may be, and to give public notice thereof five days at least previous to the day of
holding the said election, and the election of commissioners so made shall be as valid as if the same
had been held on the said first Monday of March, as directed by the said original act.

And compen-
sate the clerk,
&c.

V. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the said commissioners may allow such reasonable compensation
to the clerk of the market and bailiff of the said towns for their respective services as they in their
judgment may think just and right.

Penalties, &c.
how to be re-
covered, &c.

VI. AND BE IT ENACTED, That all penalties, fines and forfeitures, which may be incurred by any
person or persons in virtue of this act, or of the act to which this is a further supplement, and all
other monies arising in virtue of this act, shall be recovered by and in the name of the said commis-
sioners before a justice of the peace as in cases of small debts, and the said penalties, fines and for-
feitures, and all other monies arising in consequence of this act, shall be appropriated by the said
commissioners to the use and benefit of the said towns, in such manner, and at such times, as the
said commissioners shall judge proper.

Part of an act
repealed,.

VII. AND BE IT ENACTED, That any thing in the original act to which this is a supplement which
is contrary to the directions and intentions of this act, is hereby rendered null and void, any thing
contained in the same to the contrary notwithstanding.