1797.

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

C H A P.

LXXXIX.

Their oath.

IV. And be it enacted, That every commiffioner, appointed or to be appointed
in virtue of this act, fhall, before he acts as fuch, take the following oath, or
affirmation, as the cafe may be, to wit: " I, A. B. do fwear, or folemnly, fin-
" cerely and truly declare and affirm, that as commiffioner for ——— county,
" or the city of Baltimore, I will, to the beft of my fkill and judgment, execute
" the duties of the faid office diligently and faithfully, according to the directions
" of the act for the valuation of real and perfonal property within this ftate,
" paffed at November feffion, feventeen hundred and ninety-feven, and the di-
" regions of the act to afcertain the value of the land in the feveral counties of
" this ftate for the purpofe of laying the public affeffment, paffed at November
" feffion, feventeen hundred and eighty-five, without favour, affection or par-
" tiality; and that I will do equal right and juftice, according to the beft of my
" knowledge, in every cafe in which I fhall act as commiffioner."

How vacan-
cies are to be

filled.

V. And be it enacted, That if any one of the commiffioners aforefaid fhall
die, refign, refufe, neglect, or be rendered incapable to act, by removal out of
the county or otherwife, the remaining commiffioners, or a majority of them,
may appoint fome other in the place of the perfon who fhall die, refign, refufe,
neglect, or be incapable to act; and if any three or more of the faid commif-
fioners fhall die, refign, refufe, neglect, or be incapable to act as aforefaid, the
governor, with the advice of the council, may appoint fome perfon or perfons in
his or their place, fo as to make up the number of three commiffioners, and
they fhall fill up the remaining vacancies in manner aforefaid; and the faid com-
miffioners fhall continue to act until their powers fhall be fuperfeded by fome
future act of affembly.

Duty of com-

miffioners.

VI. And be it enacted, That the commiffioners of the tax fhall meet, at the
place where the county courts are ufually held in their refpective counties, on the
twentieth day of January, feventeen hundred and ninety-eight, or as foon there-
after as they may have notice of this act, and as often after as fhall be neceffary;
and the faid commiffioners, at their faid meeting, fhall appoint a clerk, and alfo
divide their feveral counties into diftricts, of not lefs than two nor more than ten
diftricts in any one county, and not lefs than two large or three fmall hundreds
in any one diftrict, according to the population and extent of the county, and
fhall appoint, in each diftrict, one fenfible and active perfon, an inhabitant of
their county, to be affeffor of the real and perfonal property in each diftrict; and
the faid commiffioners fhall enter in a book to be kept for that purpofe, the name
of the perfon appointed affeffor in each diftrict, and fhall, immediately after fuch
choice, appoint a place and day, not exceeding ten days thereafter, (of which
five days notice fhall be given by fome one of the commiffioners to each affeffor,)
for the faid affeffors to appear before them, and at their appearance, the faid
commiffioners fhall openly read, or caufe to be read, fuch parts of this act, and
the act to afcertain the value of the land in the feveral counties of this ftate for
the purpofe of laying the public affeffment, as relate to their duty, and fhall ad-
vife them in what manner to make their affeffment, and in what form to return
their certificates thereof, and how to perform the feveral duties required of them
by this and the before-mentioned act, according to the true meaning thereof;
and the faid commiffioners fhall alfo appoint a place and day, between the firft
and twentieth days of May next, for the faid affeffors to appear and bring in
writing the feveral valuations of property in their refpective diftricts in purfuance
of this act.

An affeffor to
be appointed,

&c.

VII. And be it enacted, That the commiffioners of the tax for the city of
Baltimore fhall appoint an affeffor or affeffors to value all the property lying in
the precincts of the city of Baltimore, in the fame manner, and by the fame
rules, as the property in faid county, and the return or returns of fuch valuation
fhall he made to the commiffioners aforefaid, and not to the commiffioners of the
city of Baltimore, any thing in the aforefaid act to afcertain the value of the land
in the feveral counties of this ftate for the purpofe of laying the public affeffment
to the contrary notwithstanding.