Acts. 121

and no way is Provided by the aforesaid Act by which way the
severall parish Churches be finished kept in repaire & that the Vestry-
men may be Enabled who are likewise hereby Authorized and Im-
powered to buy & purchase Necessary Books to direct them to hold
theire Vestry & Walk by and the defraying other Necessary paro-
chiall Charges Therefore it is prayed That it may be Enacted And
be it Enacted by the King's most Excellent Ma^ty by and with the
advice and Consent of this present generall Assembly and the Au-
thority of the same That two Justices of the Peace one whereof shall
be of the Quorum with the Vestrymen of each respective parish
within this Province and foure of theire most responsible parishioners
such as they shall approve of if they shall all meet but in case of any
disapointment [by] Them two Justices one whereof shall be as afore-
said with the major part of the said Vestry Churchwardens and
Parishioners shall have full Power and Authority to leavy and assess
by an Equall Assessment upon theire respective parishioners accord-
ing to number of Taxables for purchaseing such Register Books as
aforesaid and for finishing and the necessary repaires of each respec-
tive Church or Churches within theire parishes such Sume or Sumes
of Tobbacco not exceeding 10^ll per poll in one year as to them shall
seem Convenient and att all times when the aforesaid Vestrymen
Churchwardens &c. shall in theire discretion adjudge such Books and
finishing and repairing of Churches needfull which said Assessment
or Tax per poll shall be Collected and Gathered by the Sherriffe of
each respective County upon Notice given them thereof by the afore-
said Vestrymen &c. as is Provided in the aforesaid Act Intituled an
Act for the Service of Allmighty God. This Act to Endure for 3
yeares or to the next Sessions of Assembly which first happens.

Public
Record
Office,
London.
C. O. 5,
Vol. 731,
Maryland.
From
1694-1702.
Acts

An Act appointing how publick Officers shall recover theire dues
accrewing by theire Offices.

Whereas att the first Seating of this Province it was Tollerated not
onely to publique Officers but also to Ordinary Keepers for the speedy
recovering of theire Debts upon proveing theire Accounts by theire
owne Oath to have Execution for theire Debts against theire Debtors
by way of Capias ad Satisfaciendum which Tolleration to Ordinary
keepers was afterwards restrained but still was allowed to publick
Officers and past unto a Law for this reason most Especially to
avoyd the Occasion of the said Publick Officers' recovering theire
debts by Chargeable Suites att Law But seeing that now there is a
farr greater Number of Inhabitants in this Province then formerly
And they have a far greater Number of Accounts then formerly
which Accounts are sent to the Sherriffs to be Demanded and received
and by the said Sherriffs Comitted to theire Deputys and by reason of
the Multitude of Affaires in the hands of the said Officers Sherriffs
and Deputyes and theire Neglects and Errors it many times Comes
to pass That when the Debtor hath paid his Accounts to the Officer

Acts of
Oct. 1698,
ch. 21