Act to Create Newport Town
Provided by Craig O'Donnell dadadata@friend.ly.net
and transcribed from the Archives of Maryland.
An Act granting a further Time for surveying and laying out a-new a Town in Worcester
County, called Newport Town, and confirming the Privileges granted by the former Act to
the said Town.
Whereas it is represented to this General Assembly, that in Pursuance to the Directions
and Authority given in an Act made at a Session
of Assembly, begun and held at the City of Annapolis the First Day of May, Anno Domini,
Seventeen hundred and forty four, entitled, An Act to
enable Commissioners therein named to lay out forty Acres of Land into eighty Lots for a
Town on Indian River in Worcester County: As also forty Acres of Land into eighty Lots at
the Head of Asseteague Creek, at a Place commonly called the Trap[,] for a Town; the
Commissioners therein named, or the major Part of them, together with the Surveyor of
Worcester County, did proceed and actually lay out forty Acres of Land at the Head of
Asseteague Creek, at the Place in the Act mentioned, by the Name of Newport Town; but that
the Surveyor of the said County upon performing his Part of Duty as required and directed
by the said Act, refused to stake out and distinguish the several and respective Lots in
the said Town, or to pay and satisfy the Chain Carriers for their Service. And whereas it
is further represented to this General Assembly, that an Act passed at a Session of
Assembly, begun
and held at the City of Annapolis the Fifth Day of August, Anno Domini,
Seventeen hundred and forty five, entituled, A supplementary Act to the
Act entituled, An Act to enable Commissioners to lay out forty Acres of
Land into eighty Lots for a Town on Indian River in Worcester County; as also forty Acres
of Land into eighty Lots at the Head of Asseteague Creek at a Place commonly called the
Trap for a Town; whereby the Surveyor of Worcester County, for the Time being, was
authorized, impowered and obliged to lay out, stake, mark and number every Lot distinctly
in the Town called Newport Town in the County aforesaid, as well as bound the Streets,
Lanes and Alleys. And that the said Surveyor should pay out of the Sum allowed him by the
former Law for laying out the said Town, the several and respective Chain-Carriers, that
had been or should be employed, and further provided that the several Matters and Things
to be done by Virtue of the said Supplementary Act should be finished and compleated on or
before the First Day of May, which should be in the Year Seventeen hundred forty six; but
that by sundry Delays, occasioned by Sickness of the Commissioners and other Unavoidable
Accidents, the Time elapsed before any thing could be done in Pursuance of the said Act,
by means whereof the Bounds of the said Town and Lots are still uncertain. For Remedy
whereof,
Be it Enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary, by and with the Advice and
Consent of his Lordship's Governor, and the Upper and
Lower Houses of Assembly, and the Authority of the same, That
Master Samuel Hopkins,
John Newble,
John Evans,
Charles Ratcliff,
Edward Franklin,
Ebenezer Evans and
John Fossett,
or the major Part of them, be and are hereby appointed Commissioners, and are, by Virtue
of this Act, authorized and impowered, together with the Surveyor of the said County of
Worcester for the Time being, or any
other Person skilled in surveying, to lay out a-new the said Town called Newport Town, in
such Manner as to them the said Commissioners, or the major Part of them, shall seem meet;
and that they the said Commissioners, or the major Part of them, shall be and are by
Virtue of this Act invested with the same Powers and Authorities in laying out the said
Newport Town a-new, to all Intents, Constructions and Purposes whatsoever, as the
Commissioners were by the former Law invested.
And be it further Enacted, That the Surveyor who shall by the said
Commissioners, or the major Part of them, so as aforesaid be employed in laying out the
said Town, shall be and he is hereby obliged to lay out, stake, mark, and number every Lot
distinctly in the said Newport Town, when the same shall be laid out a-new by the
Commissioners aforesaid, as well as bound the Streets, Lanes and Alleys in the said Town.
And be it further Enacted, That all the Privileges, Advantages and
Securities given by the afore-mentioned recited Acts to the said
Newport Town, shall remain and be, to all Intents and Purposes, as fully, clearly and
absolutely held and enjoyed by the Inhabitants of the said Town, or Owner or Owners of
Lots therein, as if the same had been laid out at first, or by Virtue of either of the
aforesaid Acts.
Provided always, That the several Matters and Things to be done by
Virtue of this Act, be finished and compleated at some Time on or before the First Day of
May, which shall be in the Year of our Lord God, One thousand seven hundred and forty
nine.
June 7th 1748
Read and Assented to by the Lower House of Assembly
Signed 'p Order M. Macnemara Ct lo. ho.
June 7th 1748
Read & Assented to by the Upper House of Assembly
Signed 'p Order J Ross Ct Up. Ho.
On behalf of the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary of this Province I will this be a
Law.
Sam: Ogle
the Great Seal in wax appendant
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