Assembly Proceedings, October—November 1683. 497

Tuesday 30th of October 1683 The house met again
Present

The Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary
The honourable
Coll Henry Coursey Coll William Stevens
Coll Vincent Lowe Coll William Digges
Coll Henry Darnall M^r Secretary Sewall
Coll Thomas Tailler M^r Secretary Darnall

Then was further Debated the Business of M^r Rousby and
Spernon and his Lordship Requested Coll Henry Coursey
Coll William Stevens Coll William Digges and Coll William
Burgess that they would take the full Examination of both
parties and the Evidences on either Side and report the whole
State of the Case in writing to his Lordship; They go out—
The Bill for Regulating the Tares of Tobacco hogsheads
read and assented to by this house.—
The house Adjourned for an hour then Sat again
Then Came into this house Coll Coursey Coll Stevens Coll
Digges and Coll Burges with the Report of the Case between
M^r Rousby and Spernon which was read in this house as
followeth

To the Right honourable the Lord Proprietary
We the persons appointed by Your Lordship to hear and
Report to you the State of the Case betwixt John Rousby
Plantiff and Joseph Spernon Defendant touching two runaway
Servants of the said Rousby do humbly present as followeth
Viz^t—
Imp^rs We applyed Ourselves to the Reccords to view the
said Rousbys Writt and Declaration the Date of the Writt
being the 14th of December 1680 the Return being the 15th
of february following in which Declaration he Complains of a
Tresspass upon the Case Damages 12000^ll of Tobacco for that
the said Spernon had taken up two Servants or Runaways and
by Misfeizance of his Office as Constable in not Carrying them
before the next Justice of Peace according to Law where
they might have been Secured but contrary brought them to
his own house from whence they made their Escape by which
Misfeazance he became so much Damaged—
₂^dly We find upon the Record that upon a Jury Raymond
Stapleford being foreman the Verdict was given against the
said Spernon 6000 ^lls of Tobacco Damages and Judgment past
by Default for the same in respect neither Spernon nor any
Attorney appeared for him upon which Judgment Execution
followeth &c:

U. H. Journal
1659-98