Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1694 97.  389

    given to Mr ffrisby in Order to pursue what by the sd Comis- Lib. H. D.

    sion he is directed.

          The said Commission follows in these Words,

    Daniell Vizt. ffrancis Nicholson Esqr Capt Genll & Govenr

    Pierce Corn- - .    .

    mission of in Chief of his Mats Province of Maryland,To Daniell

    Riding Sur- Pierce of Caecill County Gentl Greeting Whereas for

    veyor &Ca

          the more vigorous & effectuall putting in prosecu

    tion the severall Acts of Trade & Navigation I do find it abso

    lutely necessary & expedient that an Officer or Riding

    Surveyor be constituted in Caecill County for the further &

    better prevention of the fraudulent & illegall Trade carryed

    on and managed betwixt Pensilvania & that place (notwith

    standing my former care to obstruct the same) as by com

    plaint I have Received; And putting speciall trust & confi

    dence in your fidelity & diligence I have thought fit to consti

    tute & appoint and I do hereby accordingly Authorize &

    appoint you the said Daniell Pierce to be riding Surveyor

    within all the Limits & prcincts of Caecill County aforesd and

    the Counties therevnto adjacent, with full power & Authority

    to Examine all Masters of ships or other Vessells or bottoms

    whatsoever trading thither and to make search thereinto by

    breaking open any Chest, trunck, hock, truss or pack, as fully

    & amply as any Navall Officer within this province (by Law)

    might or could do; as also to make Seizures &ca And you are

    more particularly to keepe most frequently riding and have

    strictest reguard to those places by which such illegall Trade

    is carryed on & managed as aforesd and to strictly examine

    & search all Carts & Wagons, Boats, Shallops & Sloops

    transported over Land; As also to observe & yearly take an

    Accot (as well as possibly you can) of the quantity of Tobacco

    & Number of hogsheads made towards the ifrontier planta

    tions adjoyning vpon Pensilvania in those parts; And for your

    better guidance to discharge the Duty of your sd Office, you

    are to be Ruled by & have Recourse to the severall Acts of

    Trade & Navigation in the Book of Rates set down, the Laws p. 301

    of this province & all proclamations, relating to Trade, by me

    issued; And to observe all such further directions as from

    time to time you shall from me receive; You having first

    taken the Oaths appointed by Act of parliament to be taken

    instead of the Oaths of Allegiance & Supremacy & subscribed

    to the Test, as also an Oath for the due observance of the said

    severall Acts of Trade &ca hereby Empowering the honoble

    James ffrisby Esqr to administer the same to you, as also take

    Bond as vsua!ly given by the Navall Officers, the which he is to

    Certify to me accordingly, hereby desiring & commanding

    all Officers Civill & Military within this province and all his