210 Assembly Proceedings, April — May 1669.

Liber
V H &L
p. 44

and delivered Neither is there any way for the debtors to dis-
charge themselves of the same if they haue Satisfyed the same
any way as by bringing the Creditor vpon his Oath to declare
and sett forth if he hath Received the said debts or any part
thereof or whether there be not any accompts betwixt the
Creditor & Debtors whereby he may discount the same or to
prove his Releases the wittnesses liveing Remote and vnpos-
sible to bring them viva voce to give their Testimony therein
which thing proveth oftentimes very prejudiciall to both parties
To prevent which and to give Redresse therein for the future
Bee itt Enacted by the Right Hon^ble the Lord Proprietary by
and with the advice and assent of the upper and lower house
of this present Gener! assembly That all Debts of Record
whether by Judgment Recognizeance deed inrolled and upon
Record the Exemplificacon thereof vnder the Seale of the
Court where the said Judgments were given or where the said
ludgments is Recorded shall be a Sufficient Euidence to prove
the same And alsoe that all other debts by bonds bills accompts
or otherwise that shall from and after the first day of Novem-
ber next ensueing hither to be putt in Suite against any per-
son whatsoever liveing and Resideing within this Province shall
be proved by the Oath of the wittnesses therevnto before a
Publick Notary or other officer Lawfully Authorised therevnto
of the Country or place wheresoever itt shall happen the said
Bonds or Bills shall be sent from at which time and before the
which said Publique Notary or Publique officer shall be pre-
sent the Creditor who shall then likewise before the said Pub-
lick Notarie or other officer of the place soe Authorized upon
his Corporall Oath declare that the said debt or any part or
parcell thereof is not Satisfyed or that there is not any accompts
Between the said Creditor or Debtor by which the said Creditor
may be likewise indebted to the debtor to the value of the said
debt or any part thereof for any matter or thing accrued since
the tyme of the date of the said bond bill or Instrument or
whether the said Creditor hath not given to the Debtor any
Release for the same to be sent together with the proofes
vnder the hands and Seales of the Publick Notary or other
publick officer therevnto appointed which if the Creditor shall
Refuse or Neglect to performe and doe Then the said matter
or thing by the said Publick Notary or other officer soe by
them Certifyed as aforesaid shall not be Received as any Evi-
dence to prove the said debt And if the Creditor be dead and
his Executor or administrator sue any such bond bill accompt or
otherwise and sue the said Debtor for the same the Executors
or administrators in like manner before such Publick Notary or
other officer for that purpose appointed shall Sett forth and
declare vpon their Oath whether or not they have not heard