134

SAMUEL STEVENS, JR. ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

Dec. Ses. 1822

persons owning the shores of the Patuxent river, and having estab-
lished fisheries at the same, are frequently, greatly and wantonly in-
jured by the improper conduct of persons floating gill nets; there-
fore,

Penalty for
offence.

Section 1. E? it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland, That
from and after the passage of this act, if any person or persons shall
cause or permit his, her or their gill net or nets to be floated across,
over, or through the seine or seines of any person or persons, whilst
making what art commonly called sweep hauls, the person or per-
sons so causing or wilfully permitting his, her or their gill net or nets
to be floated across, over or through the seine or seines, whilst so
hauling, shall forfeit and pay a sum not exceeding twenty dollars, one
half to the informer the other half to the county where the of-
fence is committed.

Proceedings.

2. And be it enacted, That it shall and may be lawful, and is here-
by required of any justice of the peace in this state, upon informa-
tion, on oath, of such offence or offences having been committed, to
issue his warrant for the apprehension of such offender or offenders,
and when the person or persons so offending shall be brought before
him, to hear, adjudge and decide the same, agreeably to the evidence
produced, and that for whatever sum he may deem proper, not ex-
ceeding twenty dollars, he shall enter a judgment in the name of the
state, which sum shall be recovered in the same manner as all other
sums within the jurisdiction of a justice of the peace, are recovered,
one half to be paid over by the constable collecting the same to the
clerk of the levy court for the county where the offence was commit-
ted, and the other half to the informer.

Passed Feb.

24, 1823.

Annual elec-
tion if com-
missioners.

CHAPTER. 215.

An additional supplement to the act, entitled, An act to erect a town in
Queen si mi's county.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Man/land, That
from and after the passage of this act, it shall and may be lawful for
all persons residing within the corporate limits of the town of Cen-
treville, in Queen Ann's county, having a residence in said town of
six months, and being entitled to vote for delegates to the general
assembly, to meet at the Court House in the said town, on the first
Monday in April next, and on the said day and month, annually,
thereafter, to elect by ballot seven discreet and sensible men, resi-
dents of, and holding real property in the said town, as commission-
ers for the same.

Vacancies.

2. And be it enacted, That upon the death, resignation, or disqualifica-
tion of any of the commissioners, who may hereafter be elected in
consequence of this act, the citizens of the said town, qualified to
vote as aforesaid, shall proceed as soon as convenient to elect by
ballot, at the place aforesaid, a wise and discreet person or persons
residing and holding real property in said town, to fill such vacancy
or vacancies that may happen; and the office of each and every com-
missioner elected agreeably to the provisions of this act, shall be va-
cated by his or their removal from the said town.

Commission-
era qualifica-
tion.

3. And be it enacted, That every commissioner, who shall be here-
after elected in virtue of this act, before he proceeds to act as such,
shall make oath or affirmation, as the case may be, before any justice
of the peace for the county aforesaid, that he will diligently and faith-
fully, to the best of his skill and judgment, perform the duties of a
commissioner of the said town, agreeably to the directions of this