460 Assembly Proceedings, July 10-August 8, 1729.

Session
Laws

Governour, and the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly, and the
Authority of the same, That it shall and may be lawful for, and the
several Justices of the several County Courts within this Province,
are hereby required and directed, on Application to them made, by
the Vestrymen and Churchwardens of any Parish, yearly to assess
the Parishioners of such Parish, any Quantity of Tobacco, not ex-
ceeding Ten per Poll on the Taxable Inhabitants thereof, be it for
the Enlargement or Repairs of any Church heretofore, or hereafter
to be enlarged, or for any other Charge that shall hereafter be
judged by the Vestry and Churchwardens to be necessary for the
Use of the same Parish: For collecting whereof, the Sheriff shall be
allowed Five per Cent, without any Deduction.
Provided always, That an Account thereof be fairly kept, and
yearly transmitted to the Governour and Council, by the Time, and
according to the Directions of an Act of Assembly, Intituled, An
Act impowering the Commissioners of the County Courts to levy
and raise Tobacco, to defray the necessary Charges of their Counties
and Parishes: Any Law, Usage, or Custom to the contrary, not-
withstanding.

Chap. VIII

An Act for the Relief of Creditors, and to prevent Frauds and De-
ceits occasioned by secret Sales, Mortgages, and Gifts of Goods
and Chattels.

Whereas divers Persons, being indebted to several of the Inhabi-
tants of this Province, and Others His Majesty's Subjects, have Run
away without making any Satisfaction to their Creditors, and either
carried their Substance with them, or lodged the same in the Hands
of some Persons in Trust to their own Use; or made secret and
fraudulent Sales thereof, to the great Prejudice of Creditors, and
the Discouragement of Trade: For Remedy whereof,

p. 8

Be it Enacted, by the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary, by
and with the Advice and Consent of His Lordship's Governour, and
the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly, and the Authority of the
same, That when, and as often as any Provincial Justice, or Justice
of the Peace, shall be informed upon Oath, by the Testimony of one
creditable Witness, or by any other probable Way, that any Person
or Persons, is or are actually run away, or removed, in a secret
Manner, from the Place of his, her, or their Abode, and shall have
carried, or shall be about to remove and carry away any Part of his,
her, or their Substance, to deceive his, her, or their Creditors, or
abscond or fly from Justice, that it shall and may be lawful for such
Justice, upon Application to be made to him, by any Creditor or
Creditors of such run-away or absconding Person; and making it
appear to such Justice, that such run-away or absconding Person is
really and bona fide indebted to the Person or Persons making such
Application, and in how much; it shall and may be lawful for such