1860.

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAP. 213.

the districts assigned to them by the county com-
missioners, together with the name of the owner of
each dog or bitch.

Districts.

SEC. 3. The county commissioners of said county,
before the first day of April next, shall divide each
election district into as many sub-divisions as there
are constables in such district, and they shall define
each sub-division by the public roads or water
courses, and shall assign a constable to each sub-
division, and shall notify such constable that he is
so assigned and inform him of the bounds of his
sub-division.

Sub-divisions
to be entered
in a book.

SEC. 4. The county commissioners shall enter in
a book to be by them kept for that purpose, the
sub-divisions into which they shall sub-divide each
election district.

Tax — how
collected.

SEC. 5. The county commissioners shall between
the first of July and the first of September in each
year, deliver to each constable a list of the owners
or keepers of dogs, and the amount of tax which
each owner or keeper has to pay, and the constable
shall forthwith collect said tax, and if any person
shall not pay said tax within thirty days after the
same is demanded, the constable shall proceed to
collect the same by execution, in the same manner
as he collects small debts on judgment.

Dogs to be
killed when
owners are
unable to pay
tax.

SEC. 6. If any owner or keeper of a dog shall be
unable to pay the tax thereon, and the constable
shall be unable to find any property to execute for
the same, the constable shall forthwith proceed to
kill his or her dog or dogs.

Penalty for
resistance.

Returns.

Persons re-
leased from
paying tax.

SEC. 7. If any person shall resist a constable or
shall endeavor to prevent his killing any dog liable
to be killed under the preceding sections, such per-
son shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and
on conviction, shall be find or imprisoned, or both,
at the discretion of the court.

SEC. 8. It shall be the duty of each constable
every year during the month of April, to return to
the county commissioners a list under oath of all
the dogs with the name of the owner or keepers of the
same, within his sub-division, which have not been
before returned to the said commissioners.

SEC. 9. Any person may be released from paying
the tax herein imposed by satisfying the county