An Act appointing sheriffes to take Bayle.

Whereas it hath bene observed that some sheriffes for want
of taking sufficient bayle of certaine psons arrested those
psons soe arrested and not putting in good Bayle either neg-
lect to make their appearance in pson or by their Attorney in
Court as they ought to doe or else they doe convey themselves
out of the pvince before the accon comenced come to be tryed
to the great damage of the plt^fs in such accons and whereas
severall psons defd^t being soe arrested and having put in suf-
ficient Bayle not only to appeare but also to abide Judgement
according to an Act of Assembly in that case made and Pro-
vided have been compelled to make their appearance in person
to the Pro^all Court and there have been constrained to put in
spetiall bayle or to lye in person in the sheriffs of S^t Maries
Countys custody in which County many minds they are stran-
gers and cannot pcure bayle as they might in the Counties
where they dwell and to the end the severall sheriffs may be
the better directed and ascertained what bayle to take to every
such accon hereafter to be brought Bee it enacted by the
Right Hon^ble the Lord Prop^ty by and with the advice and con-
sent of the Upper and Lower houses of this psent Generall
Assembly and the Authority of the same that noe Clk^s of the
Pro^all or County Court within this Province shall suffer any
writ or writs to issue out of their severall courts before such
time as the Plt^f in such accon doe stile his declaracon or peti-
con with such Othe a copy of which declaracon or peticon
under the Clki hand is with the said writ to be sent to the
sheriffs before he shall be obliged to arrest the Party defendant
and then the sheriffe is to deliver the said copy to the party ar-
rested and shall take sufficient bayle of all parties so arrested
not only to appear in the severall courts to which hee is arrested