1804.

NOVEMBER, LAWS OF M A R Y L A N D.

C H A P. LII.

Passed Janua-
ry 19, 1805.

An ACT to streighten and amend the post-road leading front
Church-Hill to Centre- Ville, in Queen-Anne's county.

Commissioners
appointed, &c.

BE IT ENACTED, by the General Assembly of Maryland, That Samuel Burgess, Richard £. Harrison,
James Clayland, William. Clayton, Samuel Gold, Charles Vanderine and James Hackett, junior,
be and they are hereby appointed commissioners to survey and lay out, in as straight a direction as-
the nature of the ground will admit, the road leading from a Church-Hill to Centre-Ville; and the
said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall execute, sign and seal, a plot of the same, with
full explanations thereof, and shall return such plot and explanations to the justices of the levy court,
on or before the tenth day of May next, or as soon thereafter as may be, who, on receiving such
plot and explanations, shall examine the same, and all the evidence that may be offered for and
against the said road as returned, and may reject or confirm the same, or may direct the commissi-
oners to alter and amend the said plot, and when so amended, may reject or confirm the same, and
when confirmed, shall accordingly direct the said commissioners, or a majority of them, to mark and
bound the said roact, not exceeding thirty feet wide, clear of ditches, and direct a supervisor or su-
pervisors to clear and improve the same, in the same manner, and on the same terms, as other pub-
lic roads, and upon completing the same, it shall ever thereafter be deemed a public highway, and
kept in repair as other public roads in said county.

How vacancies
are to be filled,

II. AND BE IT ENACTED, That in case of the death, resignation, disqualification or refusal to act
of any of the commissioners aforesaid, and as often as any vacancy shall happen, the justices of the
levy court, or any two or more of them, shall appoint some other person or persons to supply such
vacancy or vacancies, not interested or related to any one through whose land the said road shall
pass.

Commissioners
to contract, &c.

III. AND BE IT ENACTED, That if any person or persons shall think him, her or themselves ag-
grieved by laying out and opening the said roact, the commissioners, or a majority of them, are
hereby authorised to contract and agree with such person or persons for the amount of damages sus-
tained, taking into due consideration all the conveniences and inconveniencies, advantages and dis-
advantages, if any, arising from the opening and improving said roact, and if the commissioners can-
not make such agreement, they, or a majority of them, shall issue their warrant, under their hands
and seals, directed to the sheriff of the county, commanding him to summon and return a jury of
twelve good and lawful men, not interested or related to the party or parties, to be and appear before
some one of the said commissioners, on the premises, at a certain day to be expressed in said war-
rant, which jury shall, on oath, inquire who is the owner or owners of such lands, and what damage
such owner or owners will actually suffer from the passage of such road over the said land, the said
jury taking into consideration all conveniencies and inconveniencies, advantages and disadvantages,
if any, arising thereby or therefrom, and the sheriff shall return the inquisition of the jury afore-
said, under his hand and seal, to the next levy court, and such inquisition shall be final and conclu-
sive between the parties, and the amount of damages, if any, therein expressed, shall be paid, by
order of the said court, out of the monies levied for the repair of the public roads in said county, or
out of the monies that may be levied under this act; provided the said road shall not be laid out to
run through any buildings, enclosed yard or garden, without the consent of the owner, nor shall any
field in which grain or other cultivated articles are growing, be laid open until after the season for
securing the crop growing in such field.

Justices to levy
money, &c.

IV. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the justices of the levy court be and they are hereby authorised,
if they shall deem it necessary, to levy on the assessable property of said county, at the time of lay-
ing the next county levy, a sum not exceeding four hundred dollars, for the purpose of carrying the
provisions of this act into effect; and they, said justices, are hereby directed to allow such compensa-
tion to the commissioners and surveyor, or persons employed by them in the execution of this act,
as the said justices shall think reasonable and proper.

C H A P. LIII.

Passed Janua-
ry 12, 1805.

An ACT to prevent the eredion of booths within one mile of any
methodist meeting-house in Talbot county during quarterly meet-
ing.

Preamble.

WHEREAS it is respectfully represented to this general assembly, by the methodist society of
Talbot county, that sundry persons set up booths, and sell liquor and other things, near their