1797.

L A W S of M A R Y L A N D.

C H A P.

XX.

the fheriff's commiffion of fix per cent, for collecting the fame; which faid

monies, fo to be affeffed and levied, fhall be collected by the faid fheriff of Dor-
chefter county for the time being, in the fame manner and within the fame time

as other public levies and county taxes are by law to be collected, and fhall, at
the expiration of the period for the collection thereof, be by him paid over to the
faid juftices, or their order.

How to be

applied.

III. And be it enacted, That the faid juftices be and they are hereby autho-
rifed and empowered to apply the faid money, when collected, to the purchafe of
the aforefaid lot of ground adjoining the court-houfe, of faid county, whereon
the dwelling-houfe of the late Jofeph Dowfon, deceafed, is erected, and to re-
ceive a conveyance of the fame for the ufe of the faid county.

Lot to belong
to the county,
&c.

IV. And be it enacted, That after the faid purchafe and conveyance fhall have
been made as herein directed, the faid lot of ground, with the improvements
thereon, fhall and the fame, is hereby declared to be the right and property of
Dorchefter county for ever.

Juftices to

meet, &c.

V. And be it enacted, That the juftices of the levy court of Dorchefter coun-
ty, or any five of them, fhall and they are hereby authorifed and required to
meet at the court-houfe in the faid county on or before the third Monday in
March next, for the purpofe of contracting for the purchafe of the faid lot of
ground, with the improvements thereon, and if the faid juftices fhall not then
be enabled to effect fuch purchafe, it fhall and may be lawful for them to ap-
point Thomas Jones, Levin Woolford and Richard Pattifon, Efquires, or any
two of them, or fuch other perfon or perfons as the faid juftices may appoint,
commiffioners for the purpofe of making fuch purchafe, who fhall, without
delay, accomplifh the fame, and make return thereof to the levy court at their
next fitting, and any contract made by them fhall be valid and obligatory, and
the levy court fhall carry the fame into effect.

Court may
fell a certain
houfe, &c.

VI. And be it enacted, That when the purchafe of the faid lot fhall be ac-
complifhed in manner aforefaid, it fhall and may be lawful for the levy court of
the county aforefaid, or fuch commiffioner or commiffioners as they may ap-
point for that purpofe, to fell at public fale, on a credit not exceeding twelve
months, having firft given fufficient notice of the day and terms of fale, all fuch
houfe and other improvements thereon as the faid levy court fhall not think
proper to be kept for the ufe of the county, taking bonds, with good and fuf-
ficient fecurity, for the payment of the money that may be bid for fuch improve-
ments, with intereft, for the ufe of the county; and fuch improvements, fo to
be fold, fhall be removed off the faid lot by the refpective purchafers in reafon-
able time; and the bond or bonds that may be taken upon fuch fale may be
affigned in payment for the lot fo directed to be purchafed as aforefaid for the ufe
of the county, if the proprietor, or other perfon authorifed to fell the fame,
fhall be willing to receive fuch bond or bonds in payment, and if not, the
money due on fuch bonds fhall, when the fame fhall become due, be collected
for the ufe of faid county, to defray the future expences thereof.

And grant
part of the lot

for a ftreet,

&c.

VII. And be it enacted, That the faid levy court fhall be authorifed and em-

powered, after having purchafed and fecured the faid lot, to grant to the com-
miffioners of the town of Cambridge, for the purpofe of a ftreet leading from
the main ftreet in the faid town to Cambridge creek, fuch portion of the faid lot
as the faid commiffioners fhall require for that purpofe, not exceeding fifty feet
in width, at fuch reafonable price as the faid commiffioners, and the juftices of
the levy court, may agree on, and if they cannot agree, fuch portion of the faid
lot as aforefaid may be condemned by the faid commiffioners of Cambridge, and
valued and paid for as in cafes of private property under the now exifting laws.

VIII. And, whereas there are fundry lots in the town of Cambridge now
leafed on ground-rent, of which the fee-fimple belongs to Dorchefter county,
it appears to this several affembly that the fale of the fee-fimple of fuch lots