The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-05-01
Public Local Law.
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY.
CHAPTER 213.


CHAPTER 2T3.
An Act to incorporate Bel Air in Hartford
County.
SECTION /. Bsaenacted6yMe Gsnerdl As.
semb{y Of Maryland, That the corporate linn
its of the town OF Bel Air, in Hartford coun-
ty, shall be contained within the following
metes 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 thirty-six 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 east twenty
eight and tifty-two hundredth perches; thence
south thirty four degrees east fifty-three
perches thence south thirty degrees east
eighty. four and twenty -four hundredth per-
ches, to the Farnandis land; thence south sew
enty-eight degrees west fifty-two and fifty
two hundredth perches to the Abingdon road;
thence south forty-five degrees west fifty-five
and twenty-four hundreth perches; thence
north forty-nine degrees west forty-one and
siXty-four hundredth perches thence north
forty degrees west two hundred and one and
eighty -hundredth perches thence north fifty
four degrees cast tifty-tour and eighty-four
hundredth perches to the place Of beginning;
and that the citizens residing within the said
corporate limits be and they are hereby crea-
ted body corporate, with perpetual success
sion, by the name of the town of Bel Air,
with all the privileges off body corporate E;
and to have and use a 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 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 all ordinances, to preserve the health
of the town, to promote cleanliness and good
order, to regulate the keeping and running at
large ofcattle, swine, goats, dogs, fowls, and
other animals to enact and pass all such ord
nances as may conduce to the peace, order and
good government of said town; to regulate
the police, and provide for the payment ofthe
same; to impose and appropriate taxes, fines,
penalties and forfeitures, for the breach of
the ordinances; to establish new avenues,
Streets alleys and sidewalks to open widen,
narrow, repair, extend, stop up or discontin
lie avenues, streets, alleys and side walks.
now laid out or used, and such as NAV be es:
tablished under the authority herein con
firmcd to levy and collect taxes for estab
llshlng, opening, narrowing, closing, repair
ing and keeping in order such avenues, streets,
alleys and side walks, and the roads leading
trnn pY,1 to enid to-, LII
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 be
paid OF offered TO he paid to the proprietors
, Of said property, before the said avenue,
street, alley, or side walk is opened, widened,
or closed, and that any proprietor who NAV
feel aggreved by such action of the COM
missioncrs, shall be 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
ers in assessing the value of damages to said
land taken, shall take into consideration the
benefits and advantages derived by the pro
portions thereby.
SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That the said
Commissioners shall have authority elect a
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 Secre-
tary, Treasurer and Collector.
Sec. 4. And be 1t enacted. That all taxes
shall be fairly laid, and shall not exceed twen-
ty cents in every one hundred dollars of taxa
bic 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, outside of the said corporate limits.
Sec. 5. And be 1t 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, rs Collectors of State and
county taxes may enforce the payment of the
same.
SEC. 6. 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 clecting Town
Commissioners.
SEC. 7. And be 1t enacted, That the aforc-
said Commissioners, or q 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 ofthe
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 At enacted, That it shall be