520 Assembly Proceedings, May — June 1676.

Liber
W H & L

An Act relateing to the seizure of Tobacco by the Sherriffe

Forasmuch as great Complaints haue been made to the Bur-
gesses and Delegates of the lower house of Assembly of the
many and great inconveniencyes that haue lately happened
and doe dayly & for the future may happen and accrue to
many Marchants Masters & other persons tradeing into and
Resydeing & Inhabiting within this Prouince who haveing
severall debts and Sumes of Tobacco due vnto them from
severall persons in this Prouince who for Satisfaccon of their
said debts haue paid away and delivered to their severall
Creditors severall quantityes and hoggsheads of Tobacco &
such hoggsheads of Tobacco haue been Received marked and
nayled by such Marchants Masters & others tradeing into &
Resydeing in this Prouince as aforesaid And thereuppon the
said Creditors haue delivered upp to the said Debitors their
bills or other Specialltyes giuen for Security of the said debts
or otherwise the said Debitors haue procured Releases &
discharges for the Debts Yett Notwithstanding afterwards
the severall sherriffes within this Prouince uppon pretence of
Publick debts due from the said persons Debitors haue seized
the said Creditors Tobacco soe Received marked and Nayled
and lying in the said Debitors Tobacco houses and by that
meanes the said Creditors are left without Remedy for Re-
covery of their said Debts againe to the great hinderance of
Trade & prejudice of such Creditors. And forasmuch alsoe as
the people of this Prouince are very much greived by the

p. 100

Severall undue practices of severall Sherriffes of this Prouince
who haueing Authority to Collect his Lordshipps Rents and
the Publick Levyes of this Prouince which many times amounts
to a small Sume of Tobacco and Comeing to the Severall
persons within this Prouince to demand & Receiue the Same
& not finding Tobacco Ready packt doe Comonly marke the
Inhabitants Tobacco houses wherein are farr greater quantityes
of Tobacco then will pay the said Rents & Leavyes and order
them not to dispose of any the said Tobacco till the same
Rents & Leavyes be payd Whereby the said Inhabitants are
Debarred from Laying out their said Tobaccoes where they
Conveniently may and when Necessity requires to their great
losse & damage for prevencon whereof for the future Bee itt
Enacted by the Right Hon^ble the Lord Proprietary of this Pro-
uince by & with the aduice and Consent of the upper and
lower houses of this present Gen^ll Assembly & the Authority
of the same That any person or persons whatsoever Marchant
or others within this Prouince that hath att any times within
these twelue moneths last past received marked and Nayled or
for the future shall Receive marke & Nayle any hoggsheds of
Tobacco within this Prouince of any persons Debitors within