The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-05-12
CHAPTER AL.

An Act to appropriate a sum of money to
provide for the indexing of certain volumes
of the Prerogative Court ofthe Province OF
MARYLAND, and Administration Accounts,
Inventories and Balance Book, and for the
Re arrangement of Original Wills Of early
settlers of Maryland, aud their preservation
against destruction by fire. Whereas there
are at this time in the Office of the Register
of Wills of Anne Arundel county, formerly
belonging to the office of the Commissary
General of the Province of Maryland, forty
seven volumes of the proceedings of the
Prerogative Court of the said Province; also
"A volumes of Administrators Accounts,
l26 volumes of Inventories and q volumes
of final distribution on Balance Books from
all the counties of the State in existence
prior to the war of the revolution, contain
ing valuable historical matter now inacces
si6e to the public for the reason that a
large proportion of said volumes are with
out indexes; and whereas also there are on
file in the said Register of Wills office at
this time Is, 900 original wills of the early
settler of the Province of Maryland, cover
ing the period from 1885 to 1T71 A. d.,
also of great historical interest, but which
for lack of suitable appliances for their ar
engagements and examination are also VIZ
tuaiIy inaccessible to the pubhc;and because
of the flimsy and combustible character OF
the room where they are stored are in great
danger of Destruction by fire, therefore:
SECTION l. Be IL enacted by tie General
Assembly of Maryland, That the Register of
Wills of Anne Arundel county and the Gov
ernor of the State be and they are hereby
authorized and empowered to have indexed
in proper books to be purchased by them tor
that purpose the aforesaid AZ volumes OF the
proceedings of the Prerogative Court of the
Province of Maryland, seventy four volumes
Of the administration accounts, one hundred
and twenty-six volumes Of Inventories and
six volumes of Distribution or Balance Books
and to arrange in patent file holders and jack
cts, to be purchased by them for that purpose,
fifteen thousand original wills of early settlers
of the province of Maryland, as aforesaid.
SEC. 2. and be IL enacted, That the two
officials aforesaid be and they are hereby au
thorized and empowered to have the said Of
fee of the Register of Wills wherein the said
records are stored made fire proof by having
it fitted up with an iron door, iron shelves
and window frames, and stone or cement or
other incombustible floor
SIC. 8. And be it enacted, That the sum
of one thousand five hundred dollars or so
much thereof as may be found necessary he
and the same is hereby appropriated: first TO
pay the cost of making fire proof said Office
and indexing the said several volumes men
toned in the preceding section, and for pur-
chasing the books necessary for that purpose,
provided that the cost of said indexing shall
be maid for at the same rate now fixed by law
for indexing the books of the Office of the
said Register of Willis and second to pay the
cost of the number of patent File Holders
and Jackets necessary for the proper ar
rangements therein of the said original wills,
and the cost of arranging the same, provided
that the cost Of said File Holders and Jack
ets'' and the arrangement of said wills shall
not exceed the sum of two hundred and fifty
dollars, and the Comptroller of the Treasury
of MARYLAND is hereby authorized and nected
to issue bis warrants to the treasurer, payable
to the order of the said Register of Wills from
time to time as the said work shall have been
done and purchases shall have been made,
and the said indexing and arranging shall have
progressed for the amounts necessary to pay
the costs thereof, not to exceed in the whole
the sum of one thousand five hundred dollars,
provided the said Register OF Wills and Gov
eruor shall from time to time file with the
Comptroller itemized accounts for such pur
chases, indexing and arranging duly certified
by them to be correct.
SEC. 4. and be it enacted, That this act
shall take effect from the date of its passage.
Approved April 6, 1894.
FRANK BROWN, Governor.
JOHN WALTER SMITH,
President of the Senate.
JAMES H. PRESTON,
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
We hereby certify that the aforegoing is
correct copy of an Act ofthe General Assem-
bly Of Maryland. passed January Session,
1894
j. ROGER McSHERRY,
Secretary of the Senate.
B. L. SMITH,
Chief Clerk of the House of Delegates.