200 Assembly Proceedings, 1694-1728.

Liber LL, 4
Acts

Tobacco as such Informer shall request such Justice or other Officer
to view on Suspicion of exceeding the Gage afs^d and also that such Jus-
tice or other Officer shall on Request of such Informer and is hereby
required to proceed in such manner as He shall think most proper to
examine the Gage thereof so as no Hogshead or Hoggsheads of To-
bacco stowed away on board of any Ship or other Sea Vessell shall on
Such Informations be unstowed unless such Hoggshead or Hoggs-
heads appear in view and if upon such Examination any Hoggshead
or Hoggsheads shall be found by such Justice or other Officer afs^d to
exceed the Gage af^d It shall be lawfull then and not otherwise for
such Justice or other Officer imediately to condemn the same to the
Use of such Informer who shall thereupon be imediately vested with
the Property thereof and may convert the same to his own Use ac-
cordingly, and the Judgm^t of such Justice or other Officer therein
shall be finall but in case such Hoggshead or Hoggsheads be not
found to exceed the Gage af^d then such mark of seizure shall be
struck out by such Justice or other Officer af^d and the Seizure be
thereby releast But in case any person or persons whatsoever shall
have sight of any Hoggshead or Hoggshead of Tobacco that He or
They shall suspect to exceed the Gage af^d it shall and may in such
Case be lawfull for such Person or Persons imediately to Seize and
marke the same as af^d altho no such Justice or other Officer as af^d be
present of which seizure such Informer shall forthwith give Informa-
tion to some Justice or other Officer af^d liveing or resideing in the
County where such Hoggshead or Hoggsheads shall be so marked
or seized who shall be by this Act obliged to go with such Informer to
view and Examine the Gage of such Hoggshead or Hoggsheads as
aforesaid and shall in all Things proceed to the viewing Examina-
tion or Condemnation of such Hoggshead or Hoggsheads of Tobacco
after the same Manner and to the uses af^d or to the releasing the
seizure thereof as is herein before directed and every such Informer or
Seiser shall pay to the Justice or other Officer af^d makeing such View
or Condemnation af^d the Sume of tenn shill^s Currant money for every

p. 304

Hoggshead that such Justice or Officer shall be requested so to view
or Examine by such Informer whether the Hoggshead or Hoggs-
heads so viewed be condemned or not to be recovered according to
Act of Assembly of this Province for speedy Recovery of Small Debts
out of Court before a Single Justice,
And Be it further Enacted that in case any of the Justices of the
County Court any Sherr. Coroner Vestryman or Church warden who
upon Application made by any Informer shall without Lawful Ex-
cuse or Impediment refuse or delay to performe what is required
of Them by this Act the Justice or Officer so refuseing shall forfeit
and pay the Sume of Fifteen Shillings currant money for every
Hoggshead so by Him refused to be viewed to the Use of such
Informer to be recovered at last before mentioned.