The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-05-15
Public Local Law.
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY,
CHAPTER 273.

SECTION. l. Beieadcted 6yMe General As
semblyof Maryland, That the corporate lin
its of the town OF Bel Air, in Hartford coun-
ty, shall be contained within the following
mctes and bounds, to wit: Beginning at the
north west corner of Emmanuel Church Lot
and running north fifty-four degrees east one
hundred and twenty eight perches, to the
Hickory Road thence South three degrees
west thirty-eight and thirtysix hundredth
perches, with said road; thence south eighty
one degrees east twelve and forty eight hun
drcdth perches; thence south twenty degrees
east forty five and four hundredth perches !;
thence south thirteen degrees cast twenty
eight and fifty two hundredth ptrches; themes
south thirty four degrees east fifty-thice
perches; thence south thirty degrees cast
eighty.tou and twenty-four hundredth per-
ches, to the Farnandis land; thence south sew
enty-2ight degrees west fifty-two and fifty
two hundredth perches to the Abingdonroad;
thence south folty-tive degrees west fiji y-ivc
and twenty-four hundreth perches themes
north forty-nine degrees west forty-one and
sixty-four hundredth pcrches therce north
forty degrees west two hundred and one and
ghty-hundredth percEes; thence north fifty
70 II d grees east fifty-tour and cighty-four
hundredth perches to the place Of beginning;
ami that the citizens residing within the aid
. corporate limits be and they are hereby crea-
n ted body corporate, with perpetual success
N sion, by the name of the town of Bel Air,
with all the privileges Of n b dy corporate;
and to have and use n common SEAL and shall
be liable and capable in law TO sue and be
sued, plead and be implicated in any Court OF
Law or Equity.
SEC. 2. Be it enacted, That the citizens re-
siding within the corporate limits of the
town OF Bel Air shall hold an election on the
first Monday of May, eighteen hundred and
Seventy-four, and in each and every year
thereafter, for five Commissioners, who shall
hold their offices for one year, or until their
SUCCESSORS are elected and qualified, and shall
have the management of the town, and who
shall have full power and authority to enact
and pass MI ordinances, to preserve the health
of the town, TO promote cleanliness and good
order, to regulate the Keeping and running at
large fcattle, swine, goats, dogs, fowls, and
other animals, to enact and pass all such ordi
nances as may conduce to the peace, order and
good government of said town; to regulate
he police, and provide for the payment ofthe
same; to impose and appropriate taxes, fines,
penalties and fortcitures, for the breach Of
tie ordinances; to establish new avenues,
streets, alleys and sidewalks; to open, widen
narrow, repair, oxtcnd stop up or discontin
ue avenues streets, alleys and side walks,
now laid out or used, and such us may lie es
tablshed under the authority herein con
firmed to levy and collect taxes for estab
fishing, opening, narrowing, closing, repair
ing and keeping in order such avenues, streets,
alleys and side walks, and the roads leading
from and to said town provided that when
any avenue, street, alley, or side walk shall
be opened, widened, or closed, the full value
of all property taken and used for such ave
nue., street alley, or side walk, or damage to
he sustained in closing the same in whole or
in part, Shall be assessed by the Commission
ers, and the said full value so assessed shall he
paid or offered 10 be paid TO the propretors
of said property, before the said avenue,
street, alley, or side walk is opened, widened,
or closed, and that any proprietor who may
feel aggrieyed by such action of the Com
mssioners shall he entitled to an appeal at
any time within thirty days, after such offer
of payment, to the Circuit Court for Hartford
county, and such appeals shall be heard and
determined as appeals from justices of the
Peace are now heard; and the Commission
crs in assessing ,hc value of damages to said
land taken, shall take into consideration the
benefits and advantages derived by the pro.
portions thereby.
SEC 3 And belt c1,ccted, That the said
Commissioners shall have authority elect
Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer from
among their own number, and all ordinances
passed by the said Commissioners shall be
signed by the Chairman and attcsted by the
Secretary; and no compensation shall be made
to the said Commissioners for any service
rendered as such; provided, that the said
Commissioners shall have power to fix and
provide for the payment of such salary or
compensation to their own Secretary as they
may deem Just and reasonable, and to fix the
amount of the bonds to be given by the said
Treasurer and the Tax Collector hereinafter
mentioned, and other officers whom the said
Commissioners may, in the exercise of their
discretion, require to give bond to the said
Town Commissioners and to approve of the
same; and provided further, that nothing in
this Act shall be construed to prevent the
same person from holding the office of SCcrc-
tary, Treasurer and Collector.
SEC. 4. And be it enacted. That all taxes
shall be fairly laid, and shall not exceed TWEEN
ty cents in every one hundred dollars of taxa
BILE property, in any one year, and that the
taxable basis of said property shall be the
same as that for county and State taxes, and
that the Commissioners shall have power to
appoint such person or persons as they think
fit to collect the said taxes, and to pay the
said Collector such salary or compensation
as they my think proper; provided that all
the property within the corporate limits of
said Town shall hereafter be exempt from
taxation for public district or county road
purposes, out-side'o the said corporate limits.
SEC 5. And be it enacted, That the Trea-
surer or Tax Collector appointed by the
Town Commissioners may force the payment
of corporation taxes in the same manner, and
with like effect, as Collectors of State and
county taxes may enforce the payment of the
same.
SEC. g. And be it enacted, That MAORI
ty of the Commissioners shall constitute
quorum to transact business, and that a
majority shall always govern and in case of
=. vacancy in the Board of Commissioners du-
ring the year, the remaining Commissioners
shall have power to fill the vacancy until the
next regular town election for electing Town
Commissioners.
SEC. 7. And be it enacted, That the afore-
said Commissioners, or a majority of them,
may meet together at such times as occasion
may require, upon the business of the said
Town and not less than once in every three
months, and shall have power TO make all
such bylaws and regulations as shall not
conflict with the laws and Constitution of the
State of Maryland.
Sec. 8. And be it enacted, That they shall
have the power to provide for the payment of
the damage and expenses of opening and
widening, laying out and grading of streets,
alleys, lanes and side walks, in the said Town,
by levying and assessing the same generally
upon the whole of the assessable property of
said Town, or specially upon the assessable
property of persons benefited thereby.
SEC. 0. And be it enacted, That it shall be
the duty of the Chief Judge of the Circuit
Court for Hartford county to appoint, in writ
ting, under his hand and SEAL three judges to
hold the first election, which shall be on the
first Monday in May next as hereinbefore
provided, who shall keep the polls open from
twelve o'clock, NJ, to five o'clock, p. NJ.
that the said Chief Judge of said Court shall
further designate the place where the polls
shall be opened, and order such notice of said
election as he NAV think nroner to he pivap