JOHN H. STONE, Efquire, Governor.

1794.

CHAP. LIII.
An ACT for the eftablifhment and regulation of the levy courts
in the feveral counties of this state.
Be it enacted, by the General Affembly of Maryland, That the juftices of
the peace in the refpective counties of this state, or any five of them
shall be and they are hereby authorifed and required, on fome day between
the firft day of March and the firft day of October annually, to meet at the
court-houfe of their refpeftive counties to adjuft the ordinary and neceffary ex-
pences of their feveral counties, including an allowance for the poor of the coun-
ty, and public roads, and for the payment thereof, with a commiffion for col-
lection not exceeding fix per cent, to impofe an affeffment or rate on all property
within their county fufficient to defray fuch counly charge; and the faid juftices
fhall apportion fuch affeffment or rate according to the laft corrected valuation of
property in their county, and fhall appoint a perfon or perfons to collect the
fame; and every collector, before he acts as fuch, fhall give bond, payable to the
ftate, with good and fufficient fecuritics, fuch as the faid juftices fhall approve
of, in double the fum to be collected, with condition, " That if the above
" bound-------------, fhall well and faithfully execute his office, and the feveral
" duties required of him by law, and fhall well and truly account for and pay to
" the juftices of the levy court, or their order, the feveral fums of money which
" he fhall receive or be anfwerable for by law, at fuch time as the law fhall di-
" rect, then the above obligation to be void."

Paffed De-
cember 26.

Juftices to
meet annual-
ly, &c.

II. And be it enacted, That the clerk of each county fhall and he is hereby
directed to keep a fair and accurate account of fuch affeffment or rare, and how
difpofed of by the levy court of his county, in a book to be kept for that pur-
pofe alone, and fhall annually, within one month after fuch affeffment, under
the penalty of fifty pounds current money, tranfmit a copy thereof to the go-
vernor and council, for their information of the grofs amount of the property in
fuch county, and the amount of the tax for the county cxpences; and fuch clerk
fhall alfo, within ten days after fuch affeffment, under the penalty of two hun-
dred pounds current money, deliver a fair copy thereof to the collector or collec-
tors appointed as aforefaid; and fuch collector or collectors fhall and he or they
are hereby authorifed and required, within twenty days thereafter, to proceed to
collect the fame rate, and fhall render an account thereof, and pay the fame to
the order of their refpective levy courts, within fix months after having received
the affeffment lift from the clerk of his county as aforefaid, and in cafe of refufal
or neglect to account or make payment, the faid juftices may, in their difcretion,
caufe the bond of the collector failing in his duty, to be put in fuit; and the faid
juftices, on taking bond, fhall caufe the fame to be proved by the witneffes there-
to, and their clerk fhall record the fame, with the probate, and an attefted copy
of the faid bond and probate from the faid record, fhall be as good evidence in
law to maintain an action of debt for the breach of the condition thereof, as
if the faid bond was actually produced and proved in court, and on fuit the
juftices may order a copy of fuch bond to be filed in the county court, and there-
upon fcire facias fhall iffue againft fuch collector, and his fecurities, in the fame
manner as by law is directed in the cafe of bonds to the loan-office, and fimilar
proceedings fhall be had to compel payment of the money due, with an intereft
of fix per cent, from the day appointed for payment; and every perfon appointed
collector fhall, before he acts as fuch, fubfcribe a declaration of his belief in the
chriftian religion, and take and fubfcribe the oath, or if a quaker, menonift or
tunker, the affirmation, of fidelity to this ftate, directed by the conftitution and
form of government, and the oath to the United States, unlefs he had before
made the faid declaration and taken the faid oaths or affirmations.

Clerk to keep
a fair account,
&c.

III. And be it enacted, That in all cafes where any collate fhall have col-
lected any Cam or fums of money for the ufe of the poor of his county, and fhall
neglect to pay over the fame to the truftees of the faid poor, or other perfon or
perfons authorifed by law to receive the fame, at the time required by this act, it
fhall and may be lawful, and the feveral county courts of this ftate are hereby

In certain

cases judge-

ment may be

entered
againft col-
lectors, &c.