510                           THE COUNTIES OF MARYLAND

Patuxent had a more southerly course above Laurel than it has. It was
clearly intended by the law that the major part of what is now Howard
County should have been retained in Baltimore County. This instance
is a good illustration of the way in which boundaries changed with
increasing knowledge without any change in law. As information
accumulated regarding the little known wooded courses of the Patuxent
and Patapsco it became evident that each river headed farther north
and west than had been supposed and that the " north line" must be
moved farther and farther west to intersect the head of Snowden River.
This movement westward continued until all of the territory between the
two rivers was included in Anne Arundel County where it remained until
the action of the Constitutional Convention of 1850 made Howard Dis-
trict, as defined in 1838, Howard County. According to the law of 1726
the jurisdiction and control of the Patapsco River is with Baltimore and
Carroll counties since the south side of the river is definitely specified
as the boundary.

Since the erection of Howard County only two counties, Wicomico and
Garrett, have been erected within the State and each of these is sepa-
rated at considerable distance from Howard County so that the latter
has received no modification of its territory since the time of its
erection.

HOWARD COUNTY ELECTION DISTRICTS.

Included in Anne Arundel County until 1850. See 1820
Ch. 168, 1822 Ch. 116, 1834 Ch. 186.
1838 Ch. 22. Howard District laid off as a municipal district from Anne

Arundel County.
1841 Ch. 13. Polling place of 7th election district established at Cooksville.

1843  Ch. 195. Commissioners appointed to lay off county into five election

districts.

1844  Ch. 69. Polling place for 3rd election district at Israel McKenzie's

house. Divisional line between the said third and fourth
election districts of said Howard District be and the same
is hereby established as follows, to wit: From the en-
trance of General Hood's lane on the Frederick turnpike
road, with and bounding on the road leading to Hobb's
mill to the south termination of the lane between Perry G.
Hobb's and Robert Hobbs, thence with a straight line to
William Wesley Scrivnor's house, leaving him in the fourth
district, and thence with a straight line to John Elder's,
leaving him in the third district.