Acts. 17

Be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that any person or persons
exporting any Furrs or Skinns out of this Province shall att or before
the shipping on board such Vessell in which such skinns or Furrs shall
be exported as aforesaid render upon Oath a just Account of the
Nature Quantity and Quallity of such Skinns by him exported as
aforesaid, and whether the same be his her or their proper goods and
Comodityes or the goods and Comodityes of any other person or
persons, then whether he she or they to whome they do properly
belong as aforesaid be Inhabitants or Residents within this Prov-
ince aforesaid which said Oath shall be exhibited by the said severall
and respective Navall Officers aforesaid or their Deputyes thereunto
espetially appointed, and if any person or persons whether Inhabitants
or Nonresidents trading into this Province shall putt on board any
Shipp or other Vessell any Furrs or Skins for which he she or they
shall not have paid the Imposicon aforesaid or given good and suffi-
cient Caution for the same to the Navall Officer of that Port and place
from whence such Furrs and skins shall be shipt as aforesaid or to
his Deputy for the tyme being a Certificate from under the hand of
such Navall Officer or his Deputy produce for the payment or Caution
by him given for payment of the Imposicon aforesaid he she or they
soe offending shall forfeite and Loose all his her or their Furrs or
Skins soe shipped as aforesaid One halfe thereof to their said Ma^tys
their heires and Success" for the use aforesaid the other halfe to
him or them shall informe and sue for the same to be recovered by
Accon of Debt Bill or Plaint or Informacon wherein no Essoyne
Proteccon or Wager of Law shall be allowed. And that the Master
of any such Ship or Vessell that shall wittingly or knowingly take
on board his said Ship or Vessell any Furrs or skins as aforesaid for
which the party or partyes shipping the same shall not produce a Cer-
tificate as aforesaid being thereof legally convict shall forfeit and pay
the Sume of five Thousand pounds of Tobaccoe one halfe thereof to
their sacred Ma^tys their heirs and Successors for the use aforesaid
the other halfe to him or them that shall informe and sue for the same
to be recovered as aforesaid. And that the severall & respective
Navall Officers of the severall & respective Ports may and are hereby
authorized and Impowred, when and as often as he or they shall
think fitt to enter into any Shipp or other Vessell trading to and from
this Province, or into any house or Warehouse or other Building and
open any Chest Trunke Casque or Fardell or search to make in any
part or place of such ship or vessell houses or buildings as aforesaid
where such Navall Officer shall suspect any such Furrs or skins to be
as aforesaid for which no Account is given or duty paid as aforesaid,
and upon finding such Furrs or Skinns unquallifyed for Exportacon
as aforesaid them to Seize and have condemned as by this Law is
before directed And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid
by and with the Advice and consent aforesaid that from and after

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