Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1694 97. 339

     Brief Instructions to the severall Sherriffs of the Province, Lib. H. D.

   what sort of Returns to make vpon Proclamations & Ordrs of

   Councill &ca issued.

            1: If any Proclamation is sent you, you are to

   ifs &ca signify in short that you have published or caused to

          be published (in such & such places within your

   County) such a proclamation touching such a thing bearing

   such a Date which sd proclamation you shall (after publication)

   either keepe or rather deliver the same vnto the Clerk of the

   County Court for to Enter vpon Record, by reason all persons

   may have Resort thereto vpon occasion.

     2: If any Ordr of Councill comes to you commanding you to

   do any Matter whatsoever, make Return in a piece of paper

   that by Vertue of an Ordr of Councill, of such a Date, touching

   such a thing you have done so & so, pursuant to the subject

   matter the same treats off or Commands; let it be what it will;

   and in all these cases you are not required to Return the Ordrs

   themselves back again for they are all Enter'd in the Office

   here, and may be of speciall vse to be kept by you for Satis

   faction of persons therein any wayes concern'd.

     3: You are Required to make a distinct Return to every

   Ordr of Councill & Proclamation in a seperate piece of paper

   by it self to the end the Returns of the severall Sherriffs

   touching every individuall Ordr may be filed apart & so easily

   distinguished, what Sherriffs have made due Returns and who p. 261

   have not.

     4: Let some Answer & Return be made to every Proclama

   tion, Ordr of Councill or other Matter sent you from that

   Board, whether the same be commanded or not, which will be

   a Vindication to you that such an order &Ca has been served

   or executed by you, if in case any person should happen to

   be prosecuted for contempt of the Same &ca

     5thly You are Required (when you surrender vp your Sher

   riffs place to a succeeding Sherriff) for to deliver vp these

   Instructions among other Writings which by Indenture you

   are obliged by Law to do.

      ffebry 26th 1696

     The information of Tho: Whitton of Caecill County (touch

   ing Cornelius Comegys & Amos Nichols) taken before his

   Exncy the Governr who then was pleased to Ordr as it is hereby

   Ordered that the sd Whitton Enter into Recognizance to

   prosecute &ca vpon the sd information, and tht Mr Attorney

   Ge&' make proceedings therein accordingly,

                      Signed p Ordr

                  H Denton C of Concil