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

Lib. L. L.

An Act for Rectifying the ill Practices of Attorneys of this
Province and Ascertaining the Attorney Generall and
Clerks of the Indictments flees.

Whereas by a Certein Ordinance of Assembly made att a
Generall Assembly held att the Porte of Annapolis the Twen-
tieth day of May in the Year of our Lord 1695 was ordeined
That the Attorney Generall of this Province should have four
hundred Pounds of Tobbacco ffee for all Actions he should
bring upon Bonds taken in the name of our Sovereigne Lord
the King & Put in Suite in the Provinciall Court of this Pro-
vince to be paid by the party bound in the said Bond and for
all Criminall Causes where the Grand jury shall find the Bill
in the Provinciall Court the Attorney Generall to have four
hundred pounds of Tobbacco and that the Clerk of the Indict-
ments in the Severall & respective County Courts should have
Two hundred pounds of Tobbacco of the Criminalls where
the Grand jury found the Bill by Colour of the said Ordinance
and for lucre of ffees severall Bonds have been putt in Suite
without any default and Severall Venires have been issued

p. 242

before any presentment of the Grand Jury or any order of
Court so that diverse of his Matys Good Subjects of this Pro-
vince have been unjustly grieved troubled and molested upon
every treviall and slight Complaint to the said Attorney Gen-
erall and to the said Clks of Indictments for preventing of
which great Evill for the future the Delegates of this present
Generall Assembly do humbly pray that it may be Enacted
And be it Enacted by the Kings most Excell' Ma'^y by and
with the Advice and Consent of this present Generall Assem-
bly and the Authority of the Same That after the end of this
Sessions of Assembly no Sumons or other process for any
Criminall matter or misdemeanor shall issue out of any of the
Courts of this Province against any person or persons whatso-
ever w^thout a presentment be first found ag^t the said person
or psons by the Grand Jury unless by a Speciall Order of
Court and if the Attorney Generall or any other Attorney of
the provinciall Court shall issue forth Sumons or any other
Process ag^t any person or persons and no Presentment or
Order of Court appears upon the Record to Iustifie the Same
the said Attorney So offending shall forfeitt and pay for such
his Offence the Sume of five Thousand pounds of Tobbacco
the one halfe to his Sacred Ma^ty Towards the defraying of the
publick leavy of this Province the other halfe to the party
grieved or to him or them that shall informe or sue for the
Same to be recovered in the Provinciall Court of this Province
by Bill Plaint or Information and if any Clerk of Indictments

p. ²43

in any of the County Courts of this Province or any other