Acts. 19

and it is the true intent and meaning of this Act that noe person or
persons whatsoever as shall trade directly from England hither be
Construed deemed reputed or taken as Foraigners but that all and
every such persons so trading from England directly to this Province
as aforesaid have free and equal Liberty in dealing with any Indian
or other person for any Skins or Furrs whatsoever with the Inhab-
itants of this Province, or as they actually have, paying such Dutyes
and Imposicons as this Law hath Imposed upon the Inhabitants
hereof as aforesaid and no more any thing herein contained to the
contrary notwithstanding.

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

An Act for the Punishment of Blasphemy Fornication and Adultery.

Be it Enacted by the King & Queens most Excellent Ma^tys by and
with the Advice and Consent of this present Generall Assembly and
the Authority of the same that from & after the Publicacon hereof
if any person or persons whatsoever Inhabiting or being within this
Province shall blaspheme God (that is to say) curse him or deny
our Saviour Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, or shall deny the
Holy Trinity the Father Son and Holy Ghost or the Godhead of any
of the said Three Persons or the Unity of the Godhead or shall utter
any reproachfull speeches, words or language concerning the Holy
Trinity or any the Three Persons thereof, for his her or their first
offence shall be bored thro the tongue & fined to their sacred Ma^tys
their heyres and Success^rs the Sume of twenty pounds sterling to be
levyed upon their goods and Chattels lands and Tenements (if any
they have) but if such Offend^r or Offend^rs have not goods and Chat-
tels lands and Tenements to the vallue aforesaid then such Offend^r
or Offend^rs shall suffer six months Imprisonment without Bayle
or mainprize and for every second offence whereof every such offend^r
or offend^rs shal be legally convict he she or they so offending as
aforesaid shall be stigmatized in the Forehead with the Letter (B)
and be fined Forty pounds sterling to the use of their Ma^tys their
heires & Success^rs to be levyed upon their goods and Chattels lands
and Tenements aforesaid, and in case he she or they so offending as
aforesaid shall not have goods and Chattels lands and Tenements
to the vallue aforesaid every such offend^r or Offend" shall suffer
Imprisonment for the space of one whole year without Bayle or
Mainprize as aforesaid. And for every third offence whereof every
such Offend^r or Offend^rs shall be legally convict as aforesaid he she
or they so offending shall suffer death with Confiscation of all his her
or their goods and Chattels to their Ma^tys their heires and Successors
And whereas sev^rall persons negligent in the performance of their
Christian duty doe to the high displeasure of God and to the Scandall
of the true Christian Religion frequently comitt fornicacon & adul-
tery and in that state of sin openly remaine and continue in contempt
of all those good & wholesome Laws heretofore made for the punish-

Acts of 1694,
ch. 24
(Repealed
by 1700,
ch. 8)