The Republican., 1898-02-10
THE BOUNDARY LINE
Dividing the Territory of AIlegany and
Garrett Counties Before the Legis-
lature.

Senate Senator r. A. Ravenscroft in
troduced a bill to provide for 'the
definite establishment and location
of the boundary line between Allie
gany and Garrett counties in order to
bring under the new assessment law
certain untaxed lands in said coun-
ties"
We have received from Senator
Ravenscroft copy of the bill as in
troduced by him and give the full
text as follows:
A BILL Entitled an Act to provide for
the definite establishment and
location of the boundary line be-
tween Allegany and Garrett coun-
ties in order to bring under the
assessment law certain untaxed
lands in said counties.
WHEREAS, By Chapter zig of the
Acts of the Assembly of 1872 provision
was made for the formation and es-
tablishment of Garrett county out of
the lands within the corporate limits
of Allegany county; and
WHEREAS, Provision was by said
Act, also made for a survey of the
boundary lines of said counties as
established by said Act between GER
tain terminal points therein named,
and that return of said survey and
the plats of said line should be repor-
ted to and filed with the Governor,
the County Commissioners and the
Clerk of the Circuit Court for Allie
gany county, under certain provisions
in said Act contained, which provis-
ions were complied with, but the said
returns and plats have not been
returned in compliance with the
requirements; and
WHEREAS, By reason of the said
failure to make said return and file
said plats the boundary line between
the said counties is now an unsettled
question thus involving both ques-
tions of jurisdiction of courts and the
right of taxation; and
WHEREAS, There are now large and
valuable areas of land in both Of said
counties untaxed or unassessed to the
great loss and injury of said counties
as well as the State of Maryland; and
WHEREAS, 1t is to the interest of
all of the tax payers of said counties
and the State of Maryland that said
boundary line should be definitely
located and thus increase the taxable
areas of said counties; therefore,
SECTION 1. Be 1t enacted By the
General assembly of maryland, That
Immediately after the enactment of
this bill into a law the Governor shall
appoint or procure the services of a
competent and skillful civil engineer
to survey and definitely locate the
boundary line between Allegany
county and Garrett county on the
line and between the terminal points
established by Chapter 212 of the Acts
of 1872; and the Governor shall also
appoint a competent clerk to said
engineer whose duty it shall be to
procure and furnish to said engineer
the necessary rodmen, axmen, chain
men and laborers and all provisions
and material necessary for the ac-
complishment of said work, and to
assist said engineer in formulating
and making the reports required by
this Act, as commissary and pay
master for the engineering corps.
The compensation of the said engin-
eer and clerk shall be paid by the
Governor, who shall require from the
said clerk bond with sureties and in
such sum as he shall deem proper,
conditioned to the faithful discharge
of the trust reposed in him.
SECTION 2, And be it enacted, That
as soon as practicable after said ap-
pointments the said engineer, with
the assistance of said clerk shall
organize such corps as may be nee
essary and proceed to survey and
definitely locate said line, and as the
final survey proceeds he shall desig-
nate on his field notes and by proper
local designation points or places, not
exceeding eighteen in number, where
boundary stones shall be placed which
stones shall be of granite or other
suitable hard stone, and shall be
marked with proper numbers or let
ters for the purpose of Identification
and to show their relation to each
other. The said stones shall be not
less than eight inches square by three
feet in length, so that when planted
they shall stand at least one foot and
nine inches above the surface; they
shall be procured by the said clerk
under the direction of said engineer
and at such time during the survey
practicable or as soon thereafter as
possible shall be planted under the
direction of said engineer.
SECTION 3. And be it enacted, That
Immediately after the survey the said
engineer, assisted by said clerk, shall
make full and detailed report of the