1797.

LAWS of MARYLAND.

C H A P.
XVIII.

limitted by law for the payment of the county charges in the year feventeen
hundred and ninety-eight, and in default thereof the faid fheriff or collector fhall
be anfwerable for all intereft, damages and cofts, which may be payable by, or
may arife or accrue to, the faid commiffioners, in confequence of the faid default.

If not paid,
procefs to if-
fue.

V. And be it enacted, That if the collector or fheriff, as the cafe may be,
fhould not pay the faid fum of money to the commiffioners, or the order of a
major part of them, on the day above mentioned, that it fhall be the duty of the
faid commiffioners, or a majority of them, to order a copy of the faid fheriff's
or collector's bond, as the cafe may be, to be filed in the clerk's office of the
county court of Somerfet county, and thereupon a common capias ad refponden-
dum fhall iffue, and judgment or trial be had at the firft court to which the capias
is returnable, without any imparlance or delay.

How vacan-
cies are to be
filled.

VI. And be it enacted, That if any of the faid commiffioners fhall die, re-
move out of the county, or refufe to act, the refidue, or a majority of them,
fhall immediately thereafter proceed to nominate and appoint another to fill the
vacancy.

VII. WHEREAS it is alfo reprefented to this general affembly, that for want
of a fufficient gaol in faid county that fome of the inhabitants thereof were in-
duced, by their love of juftice, and a wifh for the public fecurity, to advance a
considerable fum of money to defray the expences of a guard, for the fafe keeping
of a number of criminals committed to the cuftody of the fheriff of faid county
for the murder of a certain Jofhua Knight; and it appearing reafonable and juft
that all the inhabitants of faid county fhould bear an equal proportion of faid

Juftices to le-
vy money,
&c.

expence; therefore, Be it enacted, by the General Affembly of Maryland, That
the juftices of the levy court of Somerfet county, at the time of laying their
next county levy, be and they are hereby directed to levy on the affeffable pro-
perty of the faid county a fum of money, not exceeding five hundred dollars,
together with an allowance of fix per cent, for collection; which fum, when
collected, fhall be by the fheriff or collector, as the cafe may be, paid to the
honourable John Done, or his order, to be by him paid to the feveral fubfcribers
in the proportions by them feverally advanced for the maintenance and keeping
tip of faid guard.

VIII. And, whereas it is further reprefented to this general affembly, that the
poor of the county of Somerfet have become much more expenfive to faid county,
by having to purchase the firewood ufed by faid poor by the cord: And whereas
it is reprefented, that the truftees of the faid poor have it in their power to par-
chafe a fmall piece of woodland, adjoining to faid poor-houfe, by which means

Money to be
levied, &c.

the expences may be greatly leffened; therefore, Be it enacted, That the juftices
of the levy court of Somerfet county, at the time of laying their next county
levy, be and they are hereby authorifed and directed to impofe on the affeffable
property in faid county a fum of money, not exceeding four hundred dollars, to-
gether with an allowance of fix per cent, for collection for the fame; which fum,
when collected, fhall by the faid fheriff or collector, as the cafe may be, be paid
to the truftees of the poor of Somerfet county, to be by them applied in par-
chafing a parcel of woodland contiguous to the poor-houfe of faid county, not
exceeding fifty acres.

To whom to
be paid.

IX. And be it enacted, That the fheriff, or other perfon appointed to collect
the faid fums of money for the payment of the expences of the guard aforefaid,
and for the purchafe of the land for the ufe of the poor-houfe as aforefaid, fhall
pay the fame to the feveral perfons to whom it is directed by this act to be paid,
at or before the time limitted by law for the payment of the county charges in
the faid county for the year feventeen hundred and ninety-eight, and in default
thereof they, or either of them, fhall and may order a copy of the fheriff's or
collector's bond, as the cafe may be, to be lodged in the clerk's office of the
county court of Somerfet county, and thereupon a common capias ad refponden-
dum fhall iffue, and judgment or trial be had at the firft court to which the faid