E. LOUIS LOWE, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

1852.

CHAPTER 316.

AN ACT to authorise the appointment of a Com-

missioner to take testimony to provide for the re-
cording of copies of wills and other papers, of which
the originals were lost by the burning of the Court
House in Dorchester County, and to remedy as far
as practicable the evils likely to ensue from the de-
struction of the records of said County.

CHAP. 316.

Passed May
27, 1852.

WHEREAS, In the recent destruction of the Court
House of Dorchester county by fire, all the records of
the offices of the Register of wills, and the county com-
missioners of said county, were burnt and many of the
records of the clerks office of said county were either
burnt or lost, and it becomes necessary that these re-
cords and various original papers, wills, deeds, bonds,
and so forth, thus destroyed or lost, should be establish-
ed by proper evidence and authority, and it is appre-
hended that from the unfortunate occurrence serious
and extensive evil may ensue unless prevented, by
timely legislation; Therefore,

Preamble.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly
of Maryland, That a commissioner shall be appointed
in and for the said county of Dorchester, to take and re-
ceive testimony, to establish the said records, original
papers, wills, deeds, bonds, accounts, returns and all
other papers so lost or destroyed, appertaining to the
offices of the register of wills, county commissioners and
clerk of said county, and to establish the same, accord-
ing to the provisions of this act, and to perform such
other duties as are herein prescribed, and shall have
full power and authority to administer oaths whenever
necessary in all matters before him.

Commissioner
to be appoint-
ed to take and
receive testi-
mony.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That it shall be the
duty of the register of wills of said county of Dor-
chester, and he is hereby required to cause, notice, to be
given, by advertisement in the papers published in said
county, and one paper published in the city of Balti-
more, and by advertisement set up at one or more of
the most public places in each election district of said
county, to all persons to whom letters testamentary and

of administration shall have been framed in said coun-
ty, in all cases where estates are not finally settled, and
all guardians and masters in said county, to file with
said commissioner within three months from the date of
said advertisement, a full and complete account and re-

Duty of re-
gister of wills.