partition; and such commissioner shall file bond, payable to the United States, with such surety and in such penalty as the court may direct, conditioned for the faithful discharge of the duties of his trust.

SEC. 20. Whenever it shall appear to the court that the purchasemoney for the land sold has been duly paid, the court shall order such commissioner, or some other person, to execute conveyances to the purchaser, which shall bar all claims of such owners to said lands as effectually as if they themselves had executed the same.

SEC. 21. Commissioners to make partition or to sell, shall not become purchasers of said land.

SEC. 22. The moneys arising from such sale, after payment of just costs and expenses, shall be paid by such commissioners to the persons entitled thereto, according to their respective shares, under the direction of the court.

SEC. 23. If any party to such partition die, the proceedings therein shall not abate, except as to him; nor shall the same abate as to him, if the heirs of such decedent are made parties instead.

SEC. 24. The court shall make such allowance to the commissioners for their services, and for surveying, marking, chaining, platting, and the execution of the necessary conveyances, as to the court shall seem reasonable; and all costs and necessary expenses shall be awarded and enforced in favor of those entitled thereto, against the petitioners, in such proportion against each, as the court may determine.

SEC. 25. Any person who, before the partition or sale, was lessee of any lands divided or sold, shall hold the same of him to whom such land is allotted or sold, on the same terms on which by his lease he held it before partition.

SEC. 26. Upon showing sufficient cause, any person not served with summons may, within one year after such partition is confirmed, appear and open the proceedings, and obtain a review thereof, and also any person of unsound mind, or any infant whose guardian did not attend and approve such partition, may, within one year after the removal of his disability, have a review of such partition.

SECTION

OF THE ENFORCEMENT OF MECHANICS' LIENS ON BUILDINGS.

1. Who may have a lien.

2. Notice of lien to be filed.

3. When lien shall cease.

CHAPTER 105.

4. What the complaint shall contain.

5. Service of summons.

6. Proceedings in such cases.

7. Precedence of such lien.

SECTION 1. Any person who shall hereafter by virtue of any contract with the owner of any building, or with the agent of such owner, perform any labor upon, or furnish any materials, engine, or machinery for the construction or repairing of such building, shall, upon filing the notice prescribed in the next following section, have a lien upon such building, and the lot of ground upon which the same is situated, for such labor done or materials, engine, or machinery furnished, when the amount shall exceed twenty dollars.

SEC. 2. Any person wishing to avail himself of the provisions of this chapter, whether his claim be due or not, shall file in the recorder's office, at any time within three months after the completion of such building or repairs, a notice of his intention to hold a lien upon the property declared by this chapter liable to such lien, for the amount due or to become due to him, specifically setting forth the amount claimed. Upon his failure to do so, the lien shall be lost. The recorder shall file and record such notice in a book provided for that purpose.

SEC. 3. Such lien shall cease to exist at the expiration of one year after the completion of the building or repairs, unless before that time an action to enforce the same shall have been commenced in the circuit court by the person having such lien against the owner with whom, or with whose agent, the contract was made, unless such claim be not due at the expiration of one year after such completion, in which case the action shall be commenced within three months after the same shall have become due.

SEC. 4. The complaint of the plaintiff shall contain a brief statement of the contract on which the claim is founded, the amount due thereon, the time when the notice was filed with the recorder, the

time when the building was completed, if it be completed, with a description of the premises, and any other material facts, and shall pray that the premises may be sold, and the proceeds of the sale applied to the discharge of the lien.

SEC. 5. The summons shall be served as in other cases, or instead of service by publication, it may be made by delivering a copy thereof to the person in possession of the premises. If the defendant shall have sold or disposed of the premises before the service of the summons, the court shall direct notice of the proceedings to be served on the purchaser or his agent for the premises, who may thereupon, if he desire it, be made a party defendant in the action.

SEC. 6. The proceedings in an action to enforce such lien shall be the same as in other actions, except as otherwise provided in this chapter; and if judgment be rendered for the plaintiff, he may have execution issued against the premises, and thereupon the marshal shall proceed as upon other executions against real property.

SEC. 7. The liens created in pursuance of the provisions of this chapter shall have precedence over all other liens or encumbrances which attached upon the premises subsequent to the time at which the building was commenced, or the materials were furnished. If, upon a sale of the premises on execution, the proceeds be insufficient to pay all such liens, the court shall order them to be paid in proportion to the amount respectively due to each, and any other property of the defendant not exempt from execution may be sold to satisfy such execution.

SEC. 8. If the building be on any land lying outside the corporate limits of Washington City and Georgetown, the land upon which the same is erected, together with the space around the same, not exceed ing five hundred square feet clear of the building, shall also be subject to the said lien, if the said land at the time of the erection or repair of such building shall have been the property of the person contracting for the erection or repair of the same. If the building be in Washington City or Georgetown, the ground on which the same is erected, and a space of ground equal to the front of the building, and extending to the depth of the lot or lots on which it is erected, shall also be bound by the said lien, subject to the foregoing proviso.

SEC. 9. All or any number of persons having liens on the same building pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, may join in one

action, but their claims shall be stated distinctly as in a separate action, and the judgment shall show the amounts to which they are respectively entitled. If several such actions be brought by different claimants, and be pending at the same time, the court may order them to be consolidated.

SEC. 10. Whenever any person having a lien by virtue of the provisions of this chapter shall have received satisfaction for his claim, and the costs of his proceedings thereon, he shall, upon the request of any person interested, and upon the payment or tender of the costs of entering satisfaction, within six days after such payment or tender, enter satisfaction of his demand in the office of the recorder, and upon failure to do so he shall forfeit fifty dollars to the party aggrieved, and all damages which he may have sustained in consequence of such failure or neglect.

SEC. 11. Any sub-contractor, journeyman, or laborer employed in the construction or repairing of any building, or in furnishing any materials or machinery for the same, may give the owner thereof notice in writing, particularly setting forth the amount of his claim, and the service rendered, for which his employer is indebted to him, and that he holds the owner responsible for the same; and the owner of the building shall be liable for such claim, but not to exceed the amount due from him to the employer at the time of notice, or subsequently, which may be recovered in an action.

SEC. 12. Whenever any sub-contractor, journeyman, or laborer shall recover any such claim from the owner of the building, the same may be set off by such owner in any action brought against him by the person who otherwise would be entitled to recover the same under the contract.

SEC. 13. In all proceedings commenced under this chapter, the defendant may file a written undertaking, with surety to be approved by the court, to the effect that he will pay the judgment that may be recovered, and costs, and thereby release his property from the lien hereby created.

CHAPTER 106.

OF THE ENFORCEMENT OF LIENS ON BOATS AND OTHER WATER CRAFTS.

owners.

5. Several parties may join.

SECTION

1. For what boats shall be liable.

2. Claims to be liens.

3. Precedence of such liens.

4. Action may be had against boat or

SECTION

6. Judgment may be enforced by execution. 7. Attachment may be discharged by entering into bond with surety.

8. Upon whom summons may be served. 9. When action may be brought before justice of the peace.

SECTION 1. All boats, vessels, and water crafts of every description, found in the waters of this District, shall be liable:

1. For all debts contracted by the master, owner, agent, clerk, or consignee thereof, on account of supplies furnished for the use of the same, on account of work done or services rendered for the same, by boatmen or mariners, or any other persons, or on account of work done or materials furnished in building, repairing, fitting out, furnishing, or equipping such boat, vessel, or water craft.

2. For all sums due for wharfage, anchorage, or tonnage of such boats, vessels, or water crafts within this District.

3. For all demands or damages arising out of any contract of affreightment, or any wilful or negligent act of the master, owner, or agent thereof, done in connexion with the business of such boat, vessel, or water craft, or any contract relative to the transportation of persons or property entered into by the master, owner, agent, clerk, or consignee thereof.

4. For all injuries to persons or property by such boat, vessel, or water craft, or by the officers or crew, done in connexion with the business of the same.

SEC. 2. Claims growing out of the above causes shall be liens upon the boat, vessel, or water craft, their apparel, tackle, furniture, and appendages, including barges and lighters belonging to the owners of the boat, vessel, or water craft, and used therewith at the time the action is commenced.

SEC. 3. Liens under the provisions of this chapter shall have precedence of all other liens or claims against such boat, vessel, or water craft; and, as between the liens enumerated in the first section of this chapter, mariners' and boatmen's wages shall be first preferred.