1795.

LAWS of MARYLAND.

C H A P.

XXXVII.

repairing bridges, by the overfeers of the roads, in virtue of the act, entitled, An

act for the marking of highways, and making the heads of rivers, creeks,
branches and fwamps, paffable for horfe and foot, and the fupplementary acts
thereto, fhall have full compenfation for the fame from the county or counties in
which the fame fhall be ufed, the value of which fhall be afcertained on oath of
the overfeer or overfeers under whofe direction the fame fhall be cut down or
ufed, or fuch other teftimony as the levy court fhall require, to be by him or
them returned to their refpective levy courts, at their next meeting after fuch
bridges or repairs fhall be made.

Penalty on o-
verfeers for
not making
return, &c.

III. And be it enacted, That if any overfeer or overfeers of any road or roads,
under whofe direction any trees or wood fhall be cut down or ufed in virtue of
the act aforefaid, fhall not make return of the value of the fame, as by this act
is directed, he fhall pay the value of the trees or wood fo cut down or ufed to
the proprietor of the fame, to be recovered by action of debt, or on the cafe to
recover damages, as if the fame were due on contract, and the county fhall be
exonerated from the fame.

Value to be
levied, &c.

IV. And be it enacted, That the feveral levy courts to whom fuch return
fhall be made are hereby authorifed and required to levy the fame on the affeffa-
ble property of their refpective counties, to be included in the county tax of faid
counties, for the ufe of the proprietors of faid trees or wood, and to be paid over
to them by the collector thereof.

V. And, whereas doubts have arifen whether overfeers of the roads are com-
pelled to keep the bridges, which are or may be erected over creeks or runs,
clear of trees, trafh or gravel, which may lodge againft or near them fo as to

Overfeers to
remove trees,
&c.

obftruct the paffage of the water, Be it enacted, That it fhall be the duty of
overfeers of the roads to remove all trees, trafh or gravel, which may lodge
againft or near any bridge which is or may be erected over any creek or run fo
as to obftruct the paffage of the water, under the penalty of five pounds current
money for every fuch neglect.

VI. And, whereas, doubts have arifen what defcription of perfons are intended
to work on the public roads, under the exifting laws to which this is a fupple-

Who are fub-
ject to perfon-
al labour, &c.

ment, Be it enacted, That every able-bodied male perfon fhall be and is hereby
made fubject to the like perfonal fervices, and to incur the like penalties, in the
fame manner that labourers are in the aforefaid recited acts; provided, that every
fuch perfon may, at his option, in the difcharge of the duties aforefaid, pay to
the overfeer of the road the fum of three fhillings and nine-pence current money
per day, for every day he fhall be called upon to labour on the public roads, to
be employed by him in procuring labourers to work upon the road, and it fhall
be the duty of the overfeer annually to account with the levy court of his

county for all fums of money which he fhall receive in virtue of this act.

C H A P. XXXVIII.

Paffed De-
cember 24.

An ACT to empower the late fheriff and collector of Montgo-
mery county to collet the balances due him.

Preamble.

WHEREAS Solomon Holland, late fheriff and collector of Montgo-
mery county, hath, by his petition. to this general affembly, fet forth,
that he hath many balances due, and prays he may be empowered to
collect, by diftrefs, all fuch balances and this general affembly, being willing
to tyrant him fome further indulgence; therefore,

S, Holland to
collect, &c.

II. Be it enacted, by the General Affembly of Maryland, That the faid Solo-
mon Holland fhall be and he is hereby empowered and authorifed to collect, on
or before the firft day of October next, all balances due him as fheriff and col-
lector aforefaid for the year feventeen hundred and ninety-four, in manner fol-
lowing, to wit: The faid Solomon Holland, or his deputy, fhall, at leaft ten
days before execution or. diftrefs of property for arrearages aforefaid, deliver to the