Acts. 83

encreased & doth dayly prevaile within this Province to the great
dishonour of Almighty God & of his most holy & blessed name &
to the great Scandall & reproach of the Christian Religion for the
prevention whereof for the Future be it enacted by the Kings most
Excellent Majestic by & with the advice and Consent of this present
Generall Assembly & by the authority of the same that if any Person
or Persons whatsoever within this Province after the publicacon of
this Act shall profanely take the name of Almighty God or of his
sonne our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ in vain by profane swearing
or curseing or that shall use any other vain & profaine words or
speeches tending to the dishonour of God in the presence or hearing
of any one Justice of the Peace or of any head officer of any towne
Citty or burrough within this Province or being proved before any
one Justice of the Peace or head officer of any towne Citty or bur-
rough where such offence shall happen to be committed by the Oath
of one Witnesse or by the confession of the party Offending within
24 hours after such offence comitted shall pay & forfeit for every
such offence the summe of Two shillings sterling to our soveraign
Lord the King his heirs & successors to the use of the poor of such
parish where such offence shall happen to be comitted to bee levyed
upon such offender or Offenders by warrant from such Justice of the
Peace or head Officer of any town Citty or burrough before whome
such Offender or Offenders shall be convicted to the Constable or
other Officers by sale of his her or their goods or Chatties rendring
to them the Overplus & in case that such Offender or Offenders have
not any Goods then to be sett in the stocks by the space of two hours.

Public
Record
Office,
London.
C. O. 5,
Vol. 731,
Maryland.
From
1694-1702.
Acts

An Act for the Assesseing & settling the Clerk of the Councills Fees
within this Province.
Forasmuch as no Law of this Province hath hitherto provided what
Fees shall be taken by the Clerk of his Maj^ties Hon^ble Councill within
the same & considering severall matters of a different nature (as well
private as publique) do dayly occurr & are managed by the said
Clerk in the way of his office for which certain allowances or Fees
(besides his Annuall sallary) have by sundry orders of Councill from
time to time thought reasonably to be given to & settled upon such
Clerk for his better support & encouragement Yett to the end the same
may by a Law be the better Established (& for the satisfaction of his
Maj^ties good people of this Province) reduced to more certainty
especially those Fees by writts of Error & appeals (brought before
his Excellency the Governeur & the hon^ble his Maj^ties Councill of
this Province) accrueing being now Erected and constituted a Court
for heareing & determining such matters Bee it Enacted by the
Kings most excellent Maj^tie by and with the advice & consent of this
present Generall Assembly & the authority of the same that the

Acts of
July, 1696,
ch. 13