1798.

L A W S OF M A R Y L A N D,

Paffed Jan. 15.

C H A P. XXXVII.
An ACT for building a new gaol In Dorchefter county, and for other purpofes

therein mentioned.

Preamble.

WHEREAS by the petition of fundry inhabitants of Dorchefter county it is reprefented to
this general affembly, that there is no gaol in Dorchefter county fufficient for the con-
finement of debtors or felons, which is very injurious to the peace and fecurity of the faid coun-
ty; and it appearing alfo that there are confiderable fums of money due faid county for property
old for the ufe of the fame,

Commiffioners
to contract, &c.

II. BE IT ENACTED, by the General Affembly of Maryland, That Mofes Lecompte, James Steele,
John E. Gift, Levin Woolford and Thomas Ennalls, or the major part of them, fhall contract
for materials and agree with workmen, to build and finifh the faid goal which fhall be erected
in the town of Cambridge, and to plan and fuperintend the faid building until finifhed, which,

when completed, fhall, by the faid commiffioners, be put into the cuftody and poffeffion of the
fheriff of Dorchefter county for the time being, and fo fhall remain and continue in the cuftody
and poffeffion of fuch fheriff, and his fucceffors, as a public gaol for Dorchefter county.

Money raifed
to be paid to

them, &c.

III. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the fum or fums of money raifed on the fales of property be-
longing to faid county, under an act of affembly paffed at November feffion, one thoufand feven
hundred and ninety-feven, entitled, An act to authorife and empower the levy court of Dor-
chefter county to affefs and levy a fum of money for the purpofe therein mentioned, fhall be,
and the fame is hereby directed to be, paid to the commiffioners, or a majority of them, who
are authorifed to receive and apply the fame to the erecting and building of a gaol in faid

county.

Juftices to levy
money.

IV. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the juftices of the levy court for Dorchefter county, at the
time of laying their next county levy, be and they are hereby authorifed and directed to impofe
on the affeffable property of the faid county a fum not exceeding fixteen hundred dollars, to-
gether with an allowance to the collector or fix per cent, for collection of the fame, which fum,
when collected, fhall by the faid fheriff be paid to the commiffioners aforefaid, or the major part
of them, to be by them applied in the erecting of faid gaol.

To be paid to
commiffioners.

If not paid fuit
to be brought,
&c.

V. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the fheriff, or any other perfon appointed to collect the faid
fum of money for the purpofe aforefaid, fhall pay the fame to the faid commiffioners, or the or-
der of the major part of them, at or before the time limitted by law for the payment of the
county charge in the year feventeen hundred and ninety-nine.

VI. 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 tiled in the
clerk's office of the court of Dorchefter county, and thereupon a common capias ad refpondendum
fhall iffue, and judgment or trial be had at the firft court, to which the capias is returnable, with-
out any imparlance or delay.

Old gaol to be
fold, &c.

VII. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the commiffioners, or a majority of them, be and they are
hereby empowered to difpofe of the old gaol of the faid county, with the lot of ground on which
the fame at prefent ftands, or the faid commiffioners, or a majority of them, may fell the gaol-
houfe feparately from the faid lot, or apply and ufe the materials of the old gaol towards build-
ing the new gaol, at their difcretion, the faid lot of ground to be fold at public auction, in fuch
manner and form, and at fuch time and times, as the faid commiffioners may think proper.

Account to be
rendered.

VIII. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the faid commiffioners, or a majority of them, fhall render a
full and" fair account to the levy court of faid county of the receipts and expenditures of all mo-
nies which fhall be by them received and expended in virtue of this act.

How vacancies
are to be filled.

IX. AND BE IT ENACTED, That if any of the faid commiffioners fhall die, remove 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, whole acts as fuch fhall be as valid and ef-
fectual as if he had been originally named in this law.

Paffed Jan. 15.

Preamble.

C H A P. XXXVIII.
An ACT relating to the public roads in Somerfet county.

WHEREAS the prefent laws relative to the public roads of Somerfet county are at prefent
complex, and in part inadequate to the purpofes for which they were intended; and as it
is neceffary that the law fhould be rendered plain, therefore,

Juftices to

meet, &c.

II. BE IT ENACTED, by the General Affembly of Maryland, That the juftices of the peace for the

county aforefaid, or a majority of them, be and they are hereby authorifed and required to meet
together on the first Monday next, and on the fame day in every year thereafter, at

the court-houfe in the faid county, and when fo met together, the faid juftices, or a majority of
them, fhall be and they are hereby authorifed and required to defcribe, afcertain, and diftinctly
record in a well bound book to be provided by them for that purpofe, the feveral and refpective

public roads in Somerfet county, and to nominate and appoint capable and proper perfons as
overfeers of the feveral and refpective public roads aforefaid, according to the number and

divifions of the faid road, as the fame fhall be afcertained upon their records; provided never-
theless, that the faid roads fhall be fo apportioned, divided and defcribed, as not to require a
greater number of overfeers than eight in any one hundred of the faid county; ana that the faid