1844.

THOMAS G. PRATT, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

CHAP. 81.

his or her lawful owner or possessor, such person or per-
sons shall be liable to an indictment in the county court
of the county in which he, she or they may reside, or in the
city court of the city of Baltimore, or in the district court
of Howard District, if he, she or they reside in the city
of Baltimore or Howard District, and on conviction,
shall be subject to confinement in the penitentiary, for not
less than two, or more than five years, at the discretion of
the court before whom such conviction was had.

CHAPTER 81.

Passed Feb.
5, 1845.

An act to make valid and sufficient a certain acknowledg-
ment of a Deed therein mentioned.

Preamble.

WHEREAS, a certain indenture or instrument of writing
was executed on the sixteenth day of October, in the
year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty-seven, by
and between a certain James Pattison of the one part, and
a certain Reuben Tall, of the other part, both of Dorches-
ter county, and State of Maryland, by virtue of which in-
strument of writing, the aforesaid James Pattison, did
in consideration of the sum therein mentioned, to wit, the
sum of three thousand dollars, covenant and agree, that
the said Reuben Tall should stand seized of a certain farm
or plantation therein mentioned, and of all the rents, pro-
fits and issues accruing from said farm or plantation, lying
and being in Dorchester county, whereon a certain Henry
Pattison resided at the time of his death, and whereon
the said Reuben Tall then resided at the time of the exe-
cution of said indenture, in fee simple; AND WHEREAS,
in taking the acknowledgment of said indenture before
two justices of the peace, duly qualified, one of said jus-
tices by mistake, as will manifestly appear from the face
of said instrument of writing, signed his name in the
wrong place to wit: the signature of said justice being
placed immediately under and near the signature of the
party grantor, and not under the acknowledgment of said

Made valid.

indenture—Therefore,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That the said acknowledgment shall be taken and held to
be as valid and sufficient to every intent and purpose in
law, as if the same had been duly acknowledged as pre-
scribed by the law of this State; and that the clerk be
authorised to record said indenture.