1852.

LAWS OF MARYLAND.

CHAP. 316.

ces of register

of wills, coun-
ty commis-
sioners and
clerk of Cir-
cuit court.
New bonds
to be taken.

ments of writing, of whatever kind or nature, lost or
destroyed, appertaining to the offices of the register of
wills, county commissioners, and clerk of the Circuit
court of said county , and report the same to the Circuit
court, the Orphans' court or the commissioners of the
county, as the case may be; and the said courts and
the county commissioners shall, and may require all

officers and others, who, by law, are required to bond,
to give new bond or bonds, when lost or destroyed, in
such penalties as are hereinbefore provided in relation to
executors, administrators or guardians, said penalties to
be prescribed, and bonds approved by the authority
having the power under the laws of this State to appoint
such officers and approve their bonds; and that all new
bonds which shall be taken under the provisions of this
section, shall be good and pleadable in any court of law
or equity in this State without stamp.

Decision of
Orphans'
court and Cir-
cuit court fi-
nal.

SEC. 14. And be it enacted, That the decision of the
Orphans' court and Circuit court, upon all questions by
this act referred to them, shall be final and conclusive
upon the parties, unless appealed from within the time
prescribed by law to prosecute appeals from the deci-
sions of said conns; and all deeds, wills, bonds, or other
instruments of writing, or papers, of whatever kind or
nature, proper to be recorded, may, upon the establish-
ing of them by said courts as aforesaid, be recorded in
the proper office for the record thereof, and the same,
when recorded, shall have the same effect and operation
in law, to all interns and purposes, as if the records afore-
said, in which the same were heretofore enrolled, had
never been lost or destroyed.

Testimony in
regard to free
negroes.

SEC. 15. And be it enacted, That the said commis-
sioner shall, upon the written application of any free
negro or negroes residing in the said county of Dor-
chester, the evidence of whose freedom has been lost
or destroyed by the burning of the court house of said
county of Dorchester, take and receive testimony in
the same manner herein provided for, the proof of the
return and accounts of executors, and so forth, in re-
gard to the freedom of such negro or negroes, and
the evidence so taken shall by the said commissioner be
reported to the Circuit court, who shall decide upon the
validity and effect thereof, subject, however, to appeal
as in cases of petition for freedom.

Authority to
summon wit-
nesses.

SEC. 10. And be it enacted, That the said commis-
sioner shall have full power and authority to summon
witnesses before him at the instance of any of the parties
interested, or whenever he may deem their testimony
important to a fair and impartial decision in any matter