Acts. 351

or wager of Law to be Allowed And for the better Ascertain-
ing what shall be allowed for the Value of a Tob^o hhd—

C. P.

Be itt Enacted that the receiver of any hhds of Tob^o shall
allow and pay to the Owner or Owners thereof for such
hogshead received the sume of forty pounds of Tob^o to be
Added to the neat weight of such Tob^o.
And whereas the Inhabitants of this province that Ship their
Tob^o on board Shipps and other Vessells upon ffreight are
much abused by Cropping Cutting Lessening and Diminish-
ing of the hogsheads wherein such Tob^o is pak't by the masters
of Shipps or other Vessells or by other persons under their
Comand and Governmt for remedy whereof for the future —
Be itt Enacted by the Authority Advice and Cons' afd that
if any master of a Shipp or other Vessell within this province
after the end of this present session of Assembly shall receive
any hhd or hhds of Tob^o on board his said Shipp or Vessell on
ffreight and shall Either by himselfe or any other Officer or
person on board his said Shipp or Vessell under his Comand
Cutt or Suffer any hhd or hhds. of Tob^o to be Cut Crop't or
Lessened in their Length or breadth or by any other ways or
meanes abused defaced or Impaired that then and in Every
such Case such Master of a Shipp or Vessell tor Every hhd of
Tob^o soe Cut or Suffered to be Cut Crop't Lessened in their
Length or breadth Abused Defaced or Impaired to be proved

p. 259

by the oath of any sufficient person to whome the Tob^o is
Consigned in great Brittaine or other Sufficient wittness taken
before any Magistrate and a Certificate thereof made by any
notary publick or Magistrate and sent hither under his hand
and seale or any other Legall proofe whatsoever made in this
province or Elsewhere shall fforfeit and pay the sume of Six
hundred pounds of Tob^o or fifty shillings to the party grieved
to be recovered in any Court of Record in this province agt
such Master or his Security by Action of Debt or on the
Case within Seven years after the date of the bill or bills of
Lading of such Tob^o
And be itt Enacted by the Authority afd that the Security
or Securities of any Master of a Shipp or Vessell within this
province shall be Lyable to make Satisfaction according to
this Act for the Cropping Cutting abusing Defaceing and Im-
pairing of any hhd or hhds of Tob^o as afd and prosecuted for
the same in any Court of Record within this province that
Can hold plea thereof and that every Navall officer within this
province shall on paine of fifty shillings Certifie under his hand
and Seale who are the Security or Securities of any such
Master which shall be a Sufficient Evidence in any Court of
Record where such Action is Commenced to prove who are

p. 260
P. 261