The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1872-04-26
Public Local Law
Relating to Hartford County.
Enacted January Session, 1872,
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY.
CHAPTER III.

AN ACT to more particularly define the
powers and duties Of the County Com
missiOners Of Hartford county, in adjust
ing and levying for claims preferred
against said county.
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General
Assembly of Maryland, That it shall be
the duty of the county commissioners of
Hartford county, whenever any Sheriff,
or Register Of Wills of said county shall
present or render any bill of fees, or other
account or claim against said county to
said commissioners for levy before levy
ing for the same to examine such Sheriff,
States Attorney, Clerk, or Register, as the
case may be, on oath, whether all the SER
vices charged in the bill of fees account or
claim rendered have been actually perform
ed, and whether the charge, or fee, for each
particular service, is greater than is allow
ed by law, and said County Commissioners
shall also examine said officers on oath, as
to such other facts as they may deem prop
er, and may examine on oath, any other
person or persons, whose testimony they
may think necessary to establish the legal
ity and correctness Of such bills of fees, ac-
counts, or claims
SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That the
said county commissioners shall have the
right, and it is hereby made their duty, if
they have doubts as to the correctness and
legality of any bill of fees or other account
or claim rendered by any Of said officers,
against said county, to summon before them
such witnesses as they may think proper,
to disprove such bills of fees accounts or
claims as the case may be, or any part OF
the same; and they shall have full power
and authority to reduce said bills of fees
accounts or claims, or any part thereof, and
to allow such amount only as they may
deem just and legal but they shall not al
low, nor levy for any bill of fees, account
or claim or any item therein, when services
charged for have not been actually render
ed and if rendered, were not rendered UNI
der the requirements Of law; except in
cases where services have been rendered
and in the opinion of said county commits
sioners they were necessary and indispen-
sable in carrying out the provisions of ex-
listing laws, but in no case shall construc-
tive fees be allowed
SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That the
said county commissioners shall have the
same rights and powers in establishing and
adjusting the correctness and legality OF
all other accounts and claims rendered
against said county by any other person OIL
persons as are conferred by Section two OF
this act, and said commissioners shall not
allow or levy for any account or claim, IN,
til they have thoroughly examined and
scrutinized each and every item contained
therein, and are satisfied that they are just
and legal.
SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That any
usage or custom that may prevail in said
county, relating to fees or other items OF
accounts, being charged against said coun-
ty by any of the officers aforesaid, or any
other person or persons, and allowed and
levied for by former boards of county COM
missioners, but which were not expressly
authorized by law shall not be allowed to
have or take the force and effect of law
but such usage or custom is hereby disal-
lowed and forbidden. And said county
commissioners in adjusting said accounts
and claims shall be governed by the rates
of fees as fixed and set forth in the fee bill
regulating the fees of said officers respec-
lively, in Article thirty eight of the code
of Public General Laws And said county
commissioners shall not be liable to be com
PEELED by mandamus or any other process
issued by any court to levy for any object
or purpose not expressly provided for by
law.
SEC. 5. And be it enacted, That no per.
son shall be compelled to pay any of said
officers fees, until there be presented to him
or her fee bill, signed by the officer to
whom the fees are due, expressing the par
ticulars for which such fees are charged
and specifying fully and particularly, with
out abbreviation, each and every item
and said fee bill shall not contain a charge
for fee for any service, not expressly pro-
vided for by law, or a greater fee than is
so provided for, nor any charge for fee
for any service not performed at or before
the time, when such bill of fees is rendered
SEC. 6. And be it enacted, That no Judge
of the Circuit Court for Hartford county
nor any other Judge, shall allow any of the
officers aforesaid, or any other person or
attorney, under any pretepce whatsoever,
any fee or fees under the denomination OF
compensatory fees, for any service not speci.
fed, limited and appointed by Article
thirty-eight of the code of Public General
Laws, or by some other law of the State.
! SEC. 7. And be il enacted, That all the
officers named end referred to in this act
shall and they are hereby required to make
fair tables Of their respective fees, as speci-
fed, limited and appointed by the thirty
eighth article of the Code of Public Gene.
raj Laws, and to post up and keep posted
up the same in their respective offices, in
! some conspicuous and convenient part