LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1827.

927

CHAPTER 91.
AN ACT relative to the Inspection of Tobacco.
Sec 1801, ch. 63, ante page 437.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That from and after the first day of March next, it shall be
the duty of each and every inspector of tobacco at the several
tobacco warehouses in this state, to brand (or cause the same
to be done,) on every hogshead of tobacco raised, cured and
packed in this state, which they or either of them shall inspect,
with the word MARYLAND, in capital letters, on the bilge of
the hogshead, in such manner that the said word shall not
easily be cut or rubbed out, without injury to the part of the
hogshead on which it is branded.

Brand di-
rected for
Maryland
tobacco.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted. That any hogshead or hogsheads
of tobacco, which shall be offered to any inspector or inspectors
as Maryland tobacco, for the purpose of being branded as such,
which was not raised, cured and packed in the state of Mary-
land, shall be forfeited by the person or persons offering the
game, and so soon as the inspector or inspectors shall discover
that the said tobacco was not raised, cured and packed in this
state, he shall take possession of the same in the name of the
state, and shall advertise the same for sale to the highest bidder
for ready cash, and proceed to sell it after giving not less than
thirty days notice from the seizure thereof, and after paying the
costs of such sale, shall pay one-half of the net proceeds to the
treasurer of the western shore of Maryland, and the other half
to the informer.

Forfeit for
attempted
fraud.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted. That if any person shall think
him or herself aggrieved, he may lodge his complaint by motion
in writing, before the city court of Baltimore, or ahy of the
county courts of this state where the tobacco warehouse is situ-
ated, and the city or county court, as the case may be, shall
immediately hear and determine the same, and if the court
shall decide that the tobacco was the growth of Maryland, then
the tobacco, if not sold, shall be immediately restored to the
owner or owners, and if sold, the net proceeds thereof in mo-
ney; but if the court shall decide against the party claiming,
he, she or they, shall pay all costs.

Appeal.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That any person or persons
branding any hogshead or hogsheads of tobacco, with the word
Maryland, on the bilge or any other part of a hogshead or hogs-
heads, with intent to evade the provisions of this act, the per-
son or persons so offending, shall be deemed guiltj of felony,
and prosecuted in any court in this state, in the same manner
as persons are prosecuted for. any other felony, and upon con-

Forging the
brand made
felony.