368 Assembly Proceedings, 1694-1728.

Liber LL, 5
Acts

this Province and to the Acts of Assembly of the same Province and
not delay any person of common Right for the Letters of the King
the Lord Proprietor, or of any other whatsoever nor for any other
Cause, And in Case any Letters shall come to you contrary to Law
that you do nothing by them but cause them to be entered on Record
and Certifie the King the Lord Proprietor or the Governour for the
time being of them and proceed to execute the Law notwithstanding
the same Letters That you shall hold your Courts according to the
Acts of Assembly and the directions in your Commission That you

p. 42

shall do and procure the Profit of the Lord Proprietor in all things
where you may lawfully and reasonably do the same And that you
shall not debar or hinder the Prosecution of Justice nor take any Gift
Bribe or fee for delaying or rendering Judgment but shall behave
yourself Justly honestly & faithfully to the best of your knowledge
and understanding so long as you shall continue in the said Office So
help you God And be it likewise Enacted that the same Oath shall
be taken by all Judicial Magistrates that shall be hereafter appointed
as their proper Oath of Office to be Administred as hath been hereto-
fore used, and that the same be administred to the Magistrates now in
being by Vertue and according to the directions of the Several Com-
missions Writts of dedimus Potestatem or other Authorities that the
late form of their Oath of Office was administred by and that after the
last day of March next no Judicial Magistrates be capable of Acting
in their respective Stations without having first taken and Continu-
ing under the Obligation of the said Oath as their proper Oath of
Office in manner af^d Provided that if the Judge in the high Court of
Appeals Provincial Court and Courts of Assize take the said Oath
at any time before they proceed to the Judicial determination of any
Matters in their respective Courts the same shall be taken as a full
Complyance with the Directions of this Act.

Acts of 1725,
ch. 13

p. 58
(Repealed
by 1726
ch. 5)
p. 59

An Act for the Relief and Release of poor distressed Prisoners
for debt.
Be it Enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietor by
and with the Advice and Consent of his Lordships Governour and the
Upper and Lower houses of Assembly and the Authority of the same
that the Several and respective Justices in the Several County Courts
of this Province be and are hereby impowered Authorized and
Required upon the Petition to them preferr'd of any poor Prisoner
for Debt to be discharged to call and cause to Come before them or
any three of them whereof one to be of the Quorum any debtor or
debtors who at any time after the end of this present Session of
Assembly shall be actually in Prison or Custody of any Sheriff or
Goaler within this province for any Debt or damages or upon any
Attachment or Execution or any Process issued or issuing by any
legal Authority for any Debt or damages as also the Sheriff or