Assembly Proceedings, June 29-July 22, 1699. 467

possible for them to procure Tobbacco for the payment and
Satisfaction of their Creditors by means whereof they are often
times kept in prison a long time and thereby disabled from
makeing and tending theire Cropps to the great prejudice if
not ruine of many the Inhabitants of this Province, being there-
fore left Destitute of any means to Satisfy their Creditors for
prevention whereof for the future
Be it Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Maty by and
with the Advice and Consent of this present Generall Assembly
and the Authority of the same That after the Tenth day of
Aprill in any Year no Execution shall issue out of any Courts
of this Province against the body or Goods of any person or
persons Inhabiting in this Province till the Tenth of October
next or untill the Tenth day of October in any Year dureing
the Continuance of this Act for any Debt or Debts or upon
any Action Judgment or Judgm^ts sued had or recovered against
the Inhabitants of or within this Province in the Provinciall or
in any the County Courts within this Province for any Cause
Matter or thing whatsoever. Provided Such person or persons
against whom any such Judgement is obteined together with
two other persons such as the Justices shall Approve of Come
before one Justice or more of the Provinciall Court or before
the Mayor Recorder or any two of the Aldermen of the City
of S^t Marys or two Comissioners of the Porte of Annapolis or
two Justices or more of the respective County Courts where
such Judgem^t is obteined as aforesaid and shall Confess Judg-
ment for his Debt and Cost of Suites adjudged with Stay of
Execution till the 10^th day of October then next following and
thereof procure Certificate under the hand of the same Justice
or Justices before whom the said Justices shall be Confessed

Lib. L. L.
p. 184

and such Certificate shall be a Sufficient Supersedeas to the
Sherriffe to forbear Serving Execution upon the body or Goods
of the person so obteining such Certificate and if the party be
taken in Execution before such Certificate be produced that
then such Certificate being obteined afterwards as aforesaid
shall be a Sufficient Supersedeas to the Sherriffe for the re-
lease of such person out of Prison upon that Execution the
party paying or giveing security to such Sherr for his due ffees
for that Imprisonment and the Justice or Justices before whom
such Judgment shall be Confessed as af^d shall returne the
Judgement so Confessed unto the Clerk of the respective
Court where the first Judgment was obteined to be Entred
upon Record for w^ch Entry the Clerk shall receive as a ffee
five pounds of Tobbacco and no More And that after the said
Tenth day of October it shall be Lawfull to take out Execution
upon the Judgement Confessed as aforesaid Without any Scire
facias or any other Delay against either the Principle or the

p. 185