B E N J A M I N O G L E, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

1798.

C H A P. XXVII.
An ACT for the benefit of Richard Ireland Jones, of Queen-Anne's county.

WHEREAS Richard Ireland Jones, late of the kingdom of Great-Britain, now of Queen-
Anne's county, fome years paft came into this ftate with a bona fide intention to refide
therein, and hath fince married, and acquired confiderable real eftate: And whereas the faid
Richard Ireland Jones took the oaths of naturalization prefcribed by the laws of this ftate, and
of congrefs of November feffion, feventeen hundred and ninety-four, entitled, An act
to establifh an uniform rule of naturalization, and to repeal the act heretofore paffed on that
fubject in order to become a citizen of this ftate, and of the United States, and doubts have
arifen, whether the purchafes, fales and contracts, of and for real eftate, made and executed by
the faid Richard Ireland Jones, previous to his naturalization agreeably to the faid act of con-
grefs, are good and valid; therefore,

Passed Jan. 15*
Preamble,

II. BE IT ENACTED, by the General Affembly of Maryland, That all conveyances, purchafes and

contracts, touching or concerning real eftate lying in the ftate of Maryland, made, executed or
entered into, by or to the faid Richard Ireland Jones, fince his coming into this ftate, fhall have
the fame effect, operation and validity, as if the faid Richard Ireland Jones had been naturalized
at the time the fame were executed or entered into; provided, that nothing in this act contained
fhall affect the rights of third perfons accruing before the paffage of this act.

&c.

C H A P. XXVIII.
An ACT for changing part of the divifional road between Somerfet and Wor-
cefter counties, and for changing part of a road in Worcefter county called
the Black-foot road.

WHEREAS it is reprefented to this general affembly, by the petition of George Parker, of
Somerfet county, that he is poffeffed of fundry tracts of land in Somerfet and Worcester
counties, through which the divifional road of Somerfet and Worcefter counties, and the Black-
foot road, now run, to the threat injury of the faid George Parker: And whereas it appears that
changing the faid roads will redound to the intereft of the faid George Parker, and promote the
convenience of the public; therefore,

Faffed Jan, 15.
Preamble.

II. BE IT ENACTED, by the General Affembly of Maryland, That John Dafhiell, of Jeffe, William
Heron, James Weatherly Waller, William Chaille and Levin Handy, of Rhode-Ifland, be and
they are hereby appointed commiffioners, or any three or more of them are hereby authorifed
to change, lay but and open, at the expence of the faid George Parker, two public roads, in
the moft convenient directions, not exceeding thirty feet wide, one of faid roads to lead from or
near Parker's mills towards Salifbury, fo far as the faid George Parker's lands may extend, if
neceffary, and the other public road to lead from or near Parker's mills aforefaid towards Black-
foot, fo far as the faid Parker's lands extend, if neceffary; and the faid roads, when laid out and
completed at the expence of the faid George Parker aforefaid, fhall be recorded among the re-
cords of Somerfet and Worcefter county, courts, and fhall be thereafter deemed and taken as
public roads for ever, and fhall be kept in repair in the fame manner as the prefent public roads
are refpectively kept in repair.

III. AND BE IT ENACTED, That after the public road aforefaid to lead from or near Parker's
mills towards Salifbury fhall be laid out and completed as aforefaid, it fhall be taken and deemed,
in the fame manner as the old road, the divifion between Somerfet and Worcefter counties, fo
far as the faid road extends, for ever thereafter;

Road to he

C H A P. XXIX.

An ACT for the benefit of Stephen White, and others, of Worcefter county.

WHEREAS Stephen White, of Worcefter county, for himfelf and others, proprietors of
ftages running from Philadelphia to Norfolk, by the way of Dover and Snow-Hill, has
petitioned this affembly for liberty to make life of their flaves as drivers of the faid ftages from
this ftate to another ftate, and from another ftate to this, without their becoming free by the
laws of this ftate; and the prayer of the faid petitioner appearing reafonable, therefore,

Paffed Jan. 15.
Preamble,

II. BE IT ENACTED, by the General Affembly of Maryland, That it fhall be lawful for any of the
proprietors of the ftages aforefaid to make ufe of their flaves as drivers aforefaid from this ftate
to another ftate, or from another ftate to this, without their becoming free, any law of this ftate
to the contrary notwithstanding; provided always, that every driver as aforefaid, being a flave,
fhall be recorded agreeably to the act of feventeen hundred and ninety-fix, entitled, An act re-
lating to negroes, and to repeal the acts of affembly therein mentioned; and provided alfo, that
any flave, being once recorded as aforefaid, the mafter of fuch flave fhall thereafter have a right
to employ him as a driver at pleafure.

Slaves may be
ufed as drivers,

&c.

C H A P. XXX.
An ACT to incorporate the baptift church in the city of Baltimore.

WHEREAS application hath been made to this general affembly, by the baptift church in

the city of Baltimore, now under the paftoral charge of the reverend Lewis Richards, to
incorporate a committee of the faid church, with powers adequate to the management of their

temporal concerns.

II. BE IT ENACTED, by the General Affembly of Maryland, That the prefent committee of the
faid church, viz. David Shield, George Preftman, Alexander M'Kim, William Wilfon and Mat-
hias Maters, and their fucceffors, to be chofen as herein after is mentioned, together with the
minifter of the faid church for the time being, fhall be and hereby are created and declared to be

Paffed Jan. 15.
Preamble.