212 Assembly Proceedings, April — May 1669.

Liber
W H&L

Navigacon much to the Publick damage of the Province The
freemen in this present Generall Assembly doe pray that it
may be Enacted And Bee itt Enacted by the Right Hon^ble the
Lord Proprietary of and with the advice and Consent of the
upper and Lower houses of this present Generall Assembly
and by the Authority of the same That if any person or persons
from and after the last day of Iune next shall desire to Sett up
a watermill vpon any Land next adjoyning to any Runn of water

p. 46

within this Province not being the propper possession or free-
hold of the said person or persons nor leased to them by his
said Lordship or other persons to the intent thereon to Sett a
watermill they shall purchase a writt out of his Lordships Court
of Chancery directed to the Sherriffe of the County where
such land lyeth Requireing him by the Oathes of twelue men
of his County to Enquire what damages itt would be to the
Lord Proprietary or others to haue a mill Sett up in such place
as aforesaid the forme of which writt followeth viz^t
Caecilius Absolute Lord and Proprietary of the Prouinces of
Maryland and Avalon Lord Baron of Baltemore &^ca To the
Sherriffe of N. N. County greeting wee Comand you that by
the Oathes of twelve honest and Lawfull men of the County by
whome the truth of the matter may be better knowne diligently
to inquire if itt be to the Damage of us or others if we grant
to N: N: of N County Tenn Acres of Land lyeing att N. in the
County aforesaid on each side of the Runn of water there
Running together with liberty and licence thereon to sett a
Certain watermill as alsoe liberty to take sett, Cutt downe and
Carry away either by land or water any wood or Timber fitt
for building of a mill other then Timber fitt to Splitt into Clap-
boards vpon any the lands next adjoyning to the said Tenn
Acres of Land lyeing on each side the Runn of water att N.
N. aforesaid in the County aforesaid And if itt be to the damage
or prejudice of us or others then to what damage and what
prejudice of vs and to what damage and prejudice of others
and of whom and in what manner and how and of who or of
whome the aforesaid Tenn Acres of Land are holden and by
what Service and in what manner and how and of what value
they are by the yeare according to the true value of them now
before any further improvement made of the said Tenn Acres
and who are the present possessors of the said Tenn acres and
who and how many are the measnes Between us and the
present possessors of the said Tenn acres and what lands or
Tenements Remaine to the present possessors over the said
tenn acres And if the lands Remaining to the present possessors
over the said Tenn Acres will suffice to vphold their mannor
viz^t the Sixth part of the Mannor allotted by the Condicons of
plantacon for the Demeasne as before the Alienacon for build-