54

SAMUEL STEVENS, Jr. ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

Dec. Ses. 1822
Joint fences.

2. And be it enacted, That whenever any person or persons have
joined or shall join fences for their mutual benefit and advantage, it
shall be obligatory on each of the parties to keep up and in good re-
pair his, her, or their respective proportions thereof; and if any one
of the owners or possessors, upon the request of the other shall re-
fuse to make or repair the said fence or fences, within twenty days
after notice given, that then, upon proofs thereof before a justice of
the peace, it shall be lawful for the said justice to order the person
aggrieved and suffering thereby to repair the said fence or fences,
who shall be reimbursed his costs and expenses, to be recovered in
the same manner as is or shall be prescribed by law for the recovery
of debts.

Insufficient
fences.

3. And be it enacted, That whosoever, not having their grounds en-
closed with such sufficient fence as aforesaid, shall hurt, kill or do
damage to any horse, sheep, hogs or any kind of cattle belonging to
any other person, by hunting or driving them out of or from the said
grounds, shall make good all such damages sustained thereby, to the
owner or owners thereof, as shall be awarded by two respectable land
holders under their oath or affirmation, who may view the same,, the
said damages to be recovered in the same manner as is prescribed for
the recovery of damages in the two first sections of this act.

Passed Jan.
28, 1823.
Levy.

CHAPTER 83.
An act for the relief of Levin Sturgess, Senr, of Worcester county.
be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland, That the levy
court of Worcester county, may in their discretion, and that they
be and are hereby authorised at their first meeting in the month of
April annually, to levy on the assessable property of Worcester coun-
ty such sum as they may deem necessary for the support and main-
tenance of Levin Sturgess, Senr, of said county, and that the same
be paid over by the officer collecting the same, to the said Levin
Sturgess, Senr, or to his order.

Passed Jan.
29, 1823.

Preamble.

CHAPTER 84.

An act to extend to all the citizens of Maryland the same Civil If iff/its
and Religious Privileges that are enjoyed under the constitution of
the United States.
WHEREAS, by the declaration of rights of this state, it is declared
that it is the duty of every man to worship God in such manner as
he thinks most acceptable to him: " AND WHEREAS, by the constitu-
tion of the United States, which is the supreme law of the land, it is
declared that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualifica-
tion to any office or public trust under the United States: " AND
WHEREAS, certain citizens of Maryland are deprived of civil rights
and rendered incapable of holding offices on account of their religi-
ous principles; therefore,

No test re-
quired.

Repeal.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland, That
no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any of-
fice or public trust, under the state of Maryland.
2. And be it enacted, That all such parts of the declaration of
rights and constitution and form of government of this state, incon-
sistent with the provisions of this act, be and the same are hereby
abrogated, annulled and made void.

Constitutional
proviso.

3. And be it enacted, That if this act shall be confirmed by the gen-
eral assembly of Maryland, after the next election of delegates, in the