484 Assembly Proceedings, May 10-June 9, 1692.

Lib. L. L.
No. 1.

An Act relating to the seizure
of Tobacco by the Sherriffe.

p. 103

Forasmuch as great Complaints have been made to the
Delegates of this House of Assembly of the many & great
inconveniencys that have lately happened and do dayly, and
for the future may happen and accrew to many Merchants
Masters and other persons Trading into or Inhabiting within
this Province who have severall debts and sums of Tob^o due
unto them from severall Persons in this Province who for satis-
faction of their said Debts have paid away and delivered to
their severall Creditors Severall quantities and Hogsheads of
Tobacco, and such Hogsheads of Tobacco have been received
markt and nayled by such Merchants Masters, and others
Trading into & residing within this Province as aforesaid,
And thereupon the said Creditors have delivered up to the
said Debtors their Bills or other Specialties given for security
of the said Debts or otherwise the said Debtors have procured
released or discharged for the said Debts notwithstanding
afterwards the severall Sherriffs within this Province upon
pretence of Publick debts due from the said Persons Debtors,
have seized the said Creditors Tobacco so recd, marked and
nailed as aforesaid and lying in the said Debtors Tobacco
houses, and by that means the said Creditors are left without
remedy for the recovery of their said Debts again, to the
great hindrance of Trade and prejudice of such Creditors
And for as much also as the people of this Province are very
much grieved by the severall undue Practices of severall
Sherriffs of this Province, who having Authority to Collect the
Publick leavies of this Province, which many times amounts
to a small sum of Tobacco and coming to the severall Persons
within this Province to demand and receive the same, and
finding no Tobacco ready Packt do commonly mark the

p. 104

Inhabitants Tobacco houses wherein are far greater quantities
of Tobacco then will pay the said leavys, and Order them not
to dispose of any the said Tobacco till the same leavys be
paid, whereby the said Inhabitants are debarred from laying
out their said Tobaccos where they conveniently may, and
when necessity requires to their great loss and damage for
prevention whereof for the future Bee it Enacted by the King
and Queens most Excellent Majesties by and with the advice
and consent of this present Generall Assembly and the
Authority of the same That any person or persons whatsoever
Merch^ts or others within this Province that hath at any time
within these twelve months last past received marked and
nayled or for the future shall receive marke or naile any Hogs-
heads Tobacco within this Province of any psons Debtors within
this Province and which hath been paid and delivered to them