The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-01-27
THE PROPOSED SHEEP LAW.

lht fRUFUStU SHEtf LAW
The Talbot County Sheep Breeders As
ISOLATION VIII Offer This Act to the
General Assembly.
An Act to repeal Sections 157. 15S, 159,
100, 16l, 1872 and 1853, OF Article 81, code of
public general laws relating to the taxation
of dogs and to re-snact the same with
amendments.
Section 157-The Boards of Comfy Com
missioners in the several counties of this
State, are empowered and directed to pro-
vide for annual licensing of all dogs and
bitches therein Cat the annual rate of not
less than one dollar for each dogs and two
dollars for each bitch)
Section 1853 County Commissioners of
the respective counties of this State shall
divide their counties into consta bu larry
districts in accordance with the number of
constables in each of said counties, and it
| shall be the duty of said constables to
annually enumerate and assess all dogs and
bitches in their respective districts at
|
Commissioners OF not less than one dollar
for each dog and two dollars for each
bitch.
| Section 159. The boards of County
| Commissioners shall furnish the constables
of their respective counties with metal tags
bearing on their face the year for which
they are issued, and the sex of the dog, to
be worn by all dogs, ond also provide each
constable with a suitable book to register
the full name of every owner of dog, the
sex of the animal and the amount of the
license paid.
Section 16O. All owners of dogs and
bitches upwards of two months old shall
pay to the county the license as assessed
in their respective counties on or before the
first day of September in each year, and
any dog or bitch kept or staying bout the
premises of any person with his knowledge
whether such person be the owner or only
the occupant of said premises, shall be
deemed the property of said person.
Section 161 1t shall be the duty of the
| constables to collect from every owner of a
dog CT bitch the amount of license for the
same and to register the full name of the
owner, the sex of the animal, and the
amount of license paid, and shall also issue
| to such person certificate of registration,
and metal tag or tags as provided by the
county commissioners and the several
| constables shall pay quarterly to the COM
missioners of their respective counties the
amount received by them for the licensing
OF dogs and bitches less twenty five per
cent thereof which they shall retain as a
commission for collecting the same; the
| official bond of such constables to be held
| liable for such collections, and it shall be
the duty of the constables to kill any non
registered dog found going at large without
such tag, and he shall receive from the
county commissioners for each dog so killed
fifty cents on such proof of killing as said
county commissioners may demand and
any person may kill any dog seen worrying
or destroying sheep either on his own
premises, those of another and the
owner of such dog so killed shall be de-
barred from damages. The neglect of any
| constable to perform the duties required
by sections 15S and 161, shall be sufficient
cause Of forfeiture of his office, and in case
OF loss of the tag or certificate issued by
constable for any dog or bitch, duplicates
shall be furnished on payment of ten cents
each upon satisfactory evidence that the
license has been paid for the current year,
for said dog the receipts for issuing dupli-
Gates to be paid by constables to county
comm issioners as received.
Section 1872. The revenue arising from
the licensing of dogs and bitches shall con
stitue separate fund to be called THE
Sheep Fund.-" all payments made by the
commissioners under sections 1853 and 165
shall be paid wholly from this fund and not
otherwise. The sheep fund shall be devo
ted after payment of the expenses incident
to the execution of this law to the remun
GRAFTON of Inhabitants of the respective
counties for loss sustained by sheep being
killed or injured by dogs or bitches, any
surplus remaining over after the expira
ton of each year shall be devoted to the
public roads,
Section 1913, Any person having sheep
killed or injured by dogs or bitches may
apply 10 any justice OF the peace of the
county, who shall appoint three disinter
ested persons to appraise such loss, and
they or majority of them shall under
oath state in writing to the county com
missoners, the number of sheep killed, the
extent and character of the injury, if any
done, and amount of damages sustained by
owner of such sheep, and both they and the
owner shall make oath that they believe
the sheep to have been destroyed or
injured by dogs or bitches, end give the
names of the owners of such dogs or bitches
if known to them, and when reports of such
proceedings have been filed in the office OF
the county commissioners, the aforesaid
county commissioners shall review said
report, and ii in their judgment the amount
of damages stated is unfair, they shall
l award such amount as they may deem fair
to be paid out of the sheep fund, provided
; that before the commissioners shall award
ahy damages for the killing of sheep, the
, person claiming damages shall be required
, | to prove to their satisfaction that he does
not know or is unable to ascertain with
reasonable diligence, the owner of the dogs
or bitches which did such damage, or il
the said owner is known, to prove to the
satisfaction of said county commissioners
that it is not practicable to collect the
amount of damage sustained by suit ag ainst
the owner of said dogs or bitches. But nc
o., person shall be entitled to compensation by
reason of loss or injury to his sheep from
x dogs or bitches. either his own or kept upon
r his premises.
Section 164. All cities, boroughs and
Incorporated towns have municipal regula
lions licensing or taxing dogs are exempted
from the provisions of this bill
Section I65. Any person IN alcously
y removing tag from any dog, or malit
y iously destroying any certificate shall b.
= deemed guilty of e misdemeanor, and OF
conviction thereof shall be fined five do
Il lars, and be imprisoned in the county jai
e for not more than dirty days, in the d
" erection of the court trying the Use EaStOl
Ledger.
!, MidWinter Tours to Florida vi;