BENJAMIN OGLE, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

1798.

Arundel and Prince-George's counties refpectively, and fhall for ever be deemed a public road,
and fhall be kept in repair as other public roads.

, CHAP.

LXXX.

IV. AND BE IT ENACTED, That each commiffioner fhall be allowed two dollars for every day
he fhall attend in difcharge of the duties herein impofed.

Their allow-
ance

V. AND BE IT ENACTED, That where any perfon or perfons fhall require compilation
for any damages fuftained by reafon of the faid, road paffing through his, her or their land, the
commiffioners aforefaid fhall and they are hereby directed to apply to any juftice of the peace
for the counties of Anne-Arundel and Prince-George's respectively, who fhall iffue his warrant,
under hand and feal, directed to any conftable of the faid county, to command him to fummon
twelve freeholders, difinterefted as to the lands, and not connected with any perfon through
whole lands the faid road fhall pafs, to appear at a place and on a certain day by him to be ap-
pointed, and after taking the following oath, or affirmation, as the cafe may be, to wit: "I
" A. B. do fwear, or folemnly, fincerely and truly declare and affirm, that I will honeftly and
" faithfully eftimate and value the damage and injury fuftained by C. D. by opening a road
" through the land of the faid C, D. in purfuance of the directions of this act," fhall proceed to
afcertain and value what damages may be fuftained by .any perfon or perfons through whole land
the faid road may pafs, by opening and clearing the fame, and fhall return the damages by them
affeffed to the clerks of Anne-Arundel and Prince-George's counties refpectively, and the da-
mages fo affeffed fhall be conclusive, and fhall be levied by the levy courts of Anne-Arundel and
prince-George's counties refpectively, and paid to the perfon or perfons for whofe ufe the fame
was levied, and after the valuation fo made, the faid commiffioners fhall proceed to open and
clear the fame; provided, that the faid road fhall not pafs through any houfes, gardens, yards,
orchards, or meadows, unlefs with the confent of the owners thereof, if of age, and of the
guardian or guardians where fuch perfon or perfons are under age.

Where re-
quired, da-
mages to be af-
certained, &c.

VI. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the juftices of the levy courts of Anne-Arundel and Prince-
George's counties refpectively, at their next levy court, fhall and they are hereby directed to
levy upon the affeffable property of the inhabitants of each county, a fum not exceeding five
hundred dollars, for the purpofe of defraying the expenses of clearing the aforefaid road, and
the faid fum, when collected, fhall be paid to the perfon or perfons employed to carry this act
into effect, who fhall expend as much of the faid money fo levied as may be neceffary on the road
in each county refpectively, and fhall account for the expenditure of the fame to the levy courts
of the faid counties.

Juftices to levy
money.

VII. AND BE IT ENACTED, That an act of affembly paffed at November feffion, one thoufand

feven hundred and ninety-feven, to lay out and eftablifh a road from the city of Annapolis to
the city of Wafhington, be and the fame is hereby abrogated and repealed.

An act repeal-
ed.

C H A P. LXXXI.
An ACT to alter and change the time for holding the county courts in Wafh-
ington county.

Paffed Jan. 16.

WHEREAS by an act of affembly, paffed at November feffion, feventeen hundred and nine-
ty-fix, the courts in Wafhington county are to be held on the firft Monday in April and
January, and that the January court is found to be inconvenient; therefore,

Preamble.

II. BE IT ENACTED, by the General Affembly of Maryland, That from and after the paffage of
this act the county courts for Wafhington county fhall be held on the firft Monday in April and
December in every year.

When courts
are to be held.

III. AND BE IT ENACTED, That fo much of the act paffed at November feffion, feventeen
hundred and ninety-fix, entitled, An act for the better adminiftration of juftice in the feveral
counties in this ftate, as relates to the time of holding the courts in. Wafhington county, is
hereby repealed.

Part of an act
repealed.

C H A P. LXXXII.
An ACT appointing commiffioners to contract for and purchafe the lands,
commonly called the Choptank Indian Lands, in Dorchefter county, and for
appropriating the fame to the ufe of this ftate, and to repeal the act of affem-
bly therein mentioned.

Paffed Jan. 18.

BE IT ENACTED, by the General Affembly of Maryland, That Henry Waggaman, William B.
Martin, James Steele, Mofes Lecompte and William Marbury, be and they are hereby ap-
pointed commiffioners to promote the purpofes herein after mentioned; and the faid commiffioners,
or a majority of them, fhall have full power and authority to execute and perform the feveral
trufts and duties vefted in and required of them by virtue of this act; and if any of the faid
commiffioners fhall refufe to act, refign, die, or remove out of the ftate, it fhall be lawful for the
remaining commiffioners, or a majority of them, to appoint another fkilful perfon or perfons to
fupply fuch vacancies, and every perfon fo appointed fhall have the fame power and authority as
any of the commiffioners appointed by this act.

Commiffioners
appointed, &c.

II. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the faid commiffioners, or the major part of them, fhall be and
are hereby authorifed and empowered, with all convenient fpeed after the paffage of this act, to
repair to the Indian fettlement near Secretary's creek, in Dorchefter county, and to contract,
covenant and agree, in behalf of this ftate, with the Choptank Indians inhabiting the faid fet-
tlement, for the purchafe of the right, title and intereft, of the faid Indians, to all and fingular

the lands and tenements aforefaid, and to enter into fuch covenant and agreement on the part of
this ftate, for enabling the faid commiffioners to obtain the right and title of the faid Indians to

Who fhall re-

pair to the In-
dian lands, &c.