JOHN HENRY, Efquire, Governor.

1797,

III. And be it enacted, That the faid refpective clerks fhall, on or before the
firft day of May In the year feventeen hundred and ninety-nine, and on or before
the fame day in every year thereafter, return to the treafurer of their refpective

fhore a lift of all the marriage licences granted by them during the preceding

year; and each and every of the faid clerks fhall forthwith pay to the faid trea-
furer the fum of twenty-five fhillings current money for each and every licence
which fhall have been before delivered to him in blank, unlefs the faid refpective
clerks fhall entitle themfelves to an allowance, by producing fuch of the faid
blank licences as the faid clerks may not have granted; and if .any of the faid
licences fhall be returned in blank to the faid treafurer, then the faid refpective
clerks fhall only pay the fum of twenty-five fhillings for each and every of the
faid blank licences as fhall not be fo returned on the fettlement of their account
as aforefaid.

C H A P.
XXXVIII.

Clerks to re-
turn a lift, &c.

IV. And be it enacted, That if any of the faid clerks fhall not annually ap-
ply to the treafurer of their refpective fhore for blank marriage licences on or
before the faid firft day of May, in the manner directed by this act every fuch
clerk fo neglecting or refufing to apply, fhall forfeit and pay the fum of one
hundred dollars for every offence.

Penalty for
neglecting to
apply, &c.

V. And be it enacted, That if any of the faid clerks, fo having received blank
marriage licences as herein before directed, fhall refufe or neglect to return to the
treafurer of their refpective fhore, on or before the firft day of May annually, a
lift of all the marriage licences granted by them refpectively during the preceding
year, and account for and pay to the faid treafurer the fum of twenty-five fhil-
lings current money for each and every licence by them fo granted, the faid trea-
furer fhall forthwith charge the clerk or clerks fo neglecting or refufing with the
whole amount of blank licences which fhall have been before delivered to fuch
clerk or clerks, at the faid rate of twenty-five fhillings for every of the faid
blank licences, and fhall immediately thereafter profecute a fuit at law againft
fuch clerk or clerks for the fame, in which it fhall be fufficient to declare for fo
much money had and received for the ufe of the ftate, and the receipt of fuch
clerk fhall be competent evidence to entitle the ftate to a recovery, and a trial
fhall be had at the appearance term, unlefs the court fhall be fully fatisfied that
the defendant ought in juftice to have an imparlance.

And for not
returning a
lift, &c.

VI. And be it enacted, That the governor and council fhall from time to
time caufe blank marriage licences to be printed and delivered to the faid refpec-
tive treafurers, fo as to keep them provided with a fufficient number for the ufe
of the feveral counties of this ftate in every year hereafter.

Blank li-
cences to be
printed, &c.

VII. And be it enacted, That from and after the faid firft day of May next,
fo much of the act, entitled, An act concerning marriages, as directs a different
mode of granting and accounting for marriage licences, be and the fame is here-
by repealed; provided neverthelefs, that until the faid day the refpective clerks
fhall iffue licences of marriage in the manner directed by the faid act, and fhall
then account to the refpective treafurers for all licences by them granted before
the faid day, and fince their laft returns.

Part of an act
repealed, &c.

C H A P. XXXIX.
An ACT for the benefit of Nicholas Slubey, merchant, of the
city of Baltimore.

WHEREAS it is reprefented to this general affembly, by the petition of
Nicholas Slubey, of Baltimore county, that by a variety of loffes
and misfortunes in trade as a copartner with Jofeph Smith, of
Great-Britain, he has been rendered unable immediately wholly to fatisfy the
debts for which he is anfwerable; and that a part of his creditors are refident
in foreign countries, and have become bankrupt, whereby affent to his releafe
cannot be obtained; and that others of his foreign creditors have no known
agents in the United States; and that from the peculiarity of his fituation it

Paffed Janua-
ry 20.

Preamble.