110 Assembly Proceedings, 1694-1728.

Public
Record
Office,
London.
C. O. 5,
Vol. 731,
Maryland.
From
1694-1702.
Acts
Acts of
June, 1697,
ch. 12

from day to day untill they have fulley compleated & Ended the
same any former Law or usuage to the contrary notwithstanding.

An Act for apportioning & paying £156..10s

Bee it Enacted by the Kings Most Excellent Majty &c^a That certain
Persons appointed by this Generall Assembly this present Sessions
to apportion the Publick Levey are hereby Impowred to apportion &
pay £156...10s. Sterling Mony according to the directions of a cer-
tain Ordinance made this present Sessions of Assembly.

Acts of
March,
1697/8,
ch. 1
[Other Acts
of this
Session are
printed in

Vol. 22

of the
Archives]

An Act for Restrayning the Extortions of Sherriffs, Subsherriffs and
Deputy Commissaryes.

Whereas there hath been divers & great complaints from severall
parts of this Province to this present Generall Assembly of severall
Sherriffs Subsherriffs and Deputy Commissaryes of their Exacting &
Extorting great summes of Tobacco above their due & Lawfull Fees
ascertain by the Acts of Assembly of this Province from severall
of the Inhabitants of this Province. And tho' the Laws of this
Province have Inflicted a severe penalty upon any Officer that shall
charge & receive more then his due Fees Yett the said Officers have
most cunningly & Craftily Evaded the said Laws by taking Bills &
Writings Obligatory without ever delivering any Account sign'd
under their hand, as the Law directs, so that the party grieved can not
sufficiently prove the said Extortions & so is left without remedy
for prevention whereof. Be It Enacted by the Kings Most Excellent
Maj^ty by & with the advice & consent of this present Generall As-
sembly & the Authority of the same, that no Sherriffe, Subsher-
riffe or Deputy Commissary within this Province after the publication
of this Act in their severall & respective Countys wherein they
dwell, shall take any bond, Bill, or Writting Obligatory of any
person or persons upon any pretence whatsoever without Endorsing
the accounts on the back of the said bill, bond or Writting Obligatory,
for which the same was passed, and if any Sherriffe Subsherriffe or
Deputy Commissarys within this Province shall during the tyme
that he remaine in his place or Office upon any pretence whatsoever
take any Bond, Bill, or Writting Obligatory without indorsing the
account on the back of the said Bill, Bond, or writing obligatory
aforesaid by which it may appeare upon what consideration the same
was taken the said bill, bond, or Writting Obligatory shall be voide
& of no Effect, and the Officer or Officers that tooke the same, shall
Loose his debt and for ever be debarred of suing any other Action
for the Recovery of the same, any Law, Statute, or Usage to the Con-
trary in any wise notwithstanding. And that whereas the said
Officers are prohibited from taking any bills upon any pretence what-
soever during the tyme they remaine in Office to the Intent the said
Officers may receive no damage by the Act of Assembly for Limitation