1793.

LAWS of MARYLAND.

C H A P.
LXVIII.

difcharge of fuch debtor or debtors fhall not acquit any other perfon from fuch
debt, damages or cofts, or any part thereof, but that all fuch perfons fhall
be anfwerable for the fame in fuch manner as they were before the paffing this
act.

Proceedings
to be record-
ed, &c.

XIV. And be it enacted, That all proceedings in chancery, under this act,
fhall be recorded by the regifter, who fhall be entitled to the fame fees as are
fixed by law for fervices in other cafes, which fhall be paid at the time of ob-
taining the difcharge.

Creditors to
be confulted,

&c.

XV. And be it enacted, That in all appointments of truftees under this act,
by the chancellor, in the room of any perfon before appointed, the chancellor,
fhall confult the creditors, and govern himfelf by the choice of a majority of
them in value, unlefs upon notice being given by public advertifement, or in

fuch other manner as he fhall think reafonable, the faid creditors fhall neglect to
make fuch choice.

When appli-
cation is to be
made, &c.

XVI. And be it enacted, That none of the faid debtors who do not make ap-
plication as aforefaid, on or before the firft day of April next, fhall have any
benefit of this ad.

Paffed De-
cember 28.

Preamble.

C H A P. LXIX.
An ACT to erect Baltimore-town, in Baltimore county, into a
city, and to incorporate the inhabitants thereof.
WHEREAS it is found by experience that the good order, health,
peace and fafety, of large towns and cities, cannot be well preferved,
nor the evils and accidents to which they are fubject avoided or
remedied, without an internal power, competent to eftablifh a police and regula-
tions fitted to their particular circumftances, wants and exigencies; therefore,

Baltimore-
town erected
into a city,
and its free
white inhabi-
tants confti-
tuted a body
politic and
corporate, &c.

II. Be it enacted, by the General Affembly of Maryland, That Baltimore-
town, in Baltimore county, fhall be and is hereby erected into a city, by the
name of The City of Baltimore, and its free white inhabitants conftituted a body
politic and corporate, by the name of The Mayor and Common-Council of the
City of Baltimore, and as fuch fhall have perpetual fucceffion, and by their cor-
porate name may fue or be fued, em plead or be empleaded, grant or receive, and
do all other a6ls, as natural perfons, and may purchafe and hold real, perfonal or
mixed property, for the benefit of themfelves and their fucceffors, and may have
a common feal, which may be broken or altered at pleafure: There fhall be a
common-council, mayor, council of electors, recorder and aldermen: The com- ,
mon-council fhall be compofed of two branches, called a Firft and Second
Branch: The city fhall be divided into eight wards, each ward to contain, as
nearly as may be, an equal number of taxable inhabitants; the firft divifion fhall
be made by five commiffioners, or a majority of them, to be appointed by the
governor and council; previous to the fecond election, the common-council fhall
direct a correct divifion, founded on the actual number of taxable inhabitants,
which fhall be repeated as often as the increafe of inhabitants fhall render it ne-
ceffary; that is to fay, when the city fhall contain fifteen thoufand taxable in-
habitants, it fhall be divided into ten wards; when twenty thoufand taxable in-
habitants, into fifteen wards; when thirty thoufand taxable inhabitants, into
twenty wards; when forty-five thoufand taxable inhabitants, into twenty-five
wards; and upon every fubfequent increafe of thirty thoufand taxable inhabitants,
the whole fhall again be divided into twenty-five wards, in order to preferve,
as nearly as may be, an equal number of voters in each ward: The firft branch
of the common-council fhall confift of as many members as there are wards;
the fecond branch of two members from each ward: The refidents in each
ward, qualified as hereafter directed, fhall choofe one perfon for election of the
firft branch, and two perfons for members of the fecond branch, and the perfons
fo chofen to elect the members of the firft branch, fhall conftitute the council
of electors: No perfon, who is not of the age of thirty years, three years a
citizen of the ftate, and refident within the bounds of the corporation two years