HARRY W. NICE, GOVERNOR. 995

son, persons or corporations shall within the period of five
years from the date of the final ratification of such audi-
tor's report establish their claims by good and sufficient
legal proof, the said balances shall be declared and con-
sidered as forfeited absolutely to the County. The said
Treasurer of Charles County is authorized and empowered
upon the passage of this Act to turn over to the County
Commissioners of Charles County all surplus funds in his
possession which have accumulated over a period of years,
representing the surplus from previous tax sales unclaimed
by the parties entitled thereto, the County Commissioners
to apply such funds so received to the general funds of the
County, subject, however, to the claims of any person,
persons or corporations to said balance within the period
hereinbefore set forth. And it shall be the duty of the
clerk of the County Commissioners, the Clerk of the Cir-
cuit Court and all other officers or other persons, to per-
form all the duties upon their parts required by law prior
to the enactment of this Act, and the Acts of which it is
amendatory, in relation to or in aid of the duties of the
office of trea-urer as were formerly required by them in
respect to the office of State and county collectors of taxes
in said county. The clerk of Circuit Court, upon receiving
from the treasurer a list of the real estate about to be
advertised and sold for taxes, shall verify the said treas-
urer's list by reference to the libers and folios set out in
the treasurer's list from the records in the clerk's office.
The said clerk shall receive a fee of twenty-five cents for
verifying each and every reference to the liber and folio set
out in the treasurer's list; and the said clerk shall receive
five dollars for filing a report of tax sales made by the
said treasurer as hereinbefore provided, docketing the same
and making other entries relative thereto; all of said fees,
as well as other costs and expenses, to be taxed against and
collected out of the proceeds of the property sold for taxes.
In all cases of sales where exceptions are filed, a separate
suit shall be docketed by the clerk on the equity docket,
and he shall receive from the party requiring any service
therein the same fees allowed for similar services in ordi-
nary equity suits, the said fee, as well as matters of pro-
cedure, to be fixed by the court, where otherwise not
specifically provided by law, and the exceptions shall be
heard by the court in the usual manner that exceptions in
chancery are generally heard, except as to the taking of
evidence, which shall be in open court, if the court shall so
order it; in all matters in the hearing of such exceptions
not specifically provided for herein, the court shall hear