Acts. 95

of Spite and Mallice, then for Just Cause, And not setting the cause
of the said Accon in the Originall Writt, and yet lay damages to a
vast Sum on a spitefull purpose, to deterr any friends of the person
arrested from being his Bayle, because it dos not appear to such
freind of the arrested person what the cause of Accon is, Bee it there-
fore Enacted by the Kings Most Excellent Majesty by and with the
advice & consent of this present Generall Assembly and the Authority
of the same, that in all Accons of Trespass upon the Case where
damages are laid to be above four Thousand pounds of Tobbacco
there shall togeather with the Writt be sent a true Coppy of the
Declaracon & left with the Deff^t expressing the true cause of Accon,
that thereby the freinds of the party arrested who are willing to be
Bayle for him, may know the said cause, And if such Coppy be not
delivered and left with the Deff^t, the Sheriff or any other Officer
having authority to serve such writt shall not require a Bayle Bond
of the Deff^t for above the sum of Eight Thousand pounds of Tob-
bacco although damages be laid in the Writt for any greater sum
whatsoever, in paine that every Sheriff or other Officer aforesaid
Exacting a greater bond contrary to this Act shall forfitt the sum of
four Thousand pounds of Tobacco, one Moiety to his Maj^ty his heirs
& Successors for the time being for the use of the Free Schoole the
other halfe to the party greived to be recovered by Accon of Debt
Bill Plaint or Informacon in any Court of Record within this Prov-
ince wherein noe Essoyne protection or Wager of Law be allowed
this Act to endure for three years or to the end of the next Generall
Assembly which shall first happen.

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

An Act for the better Clearing the Roades and directing all
Travellers Travelling through this Province.
Be it Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Maj^ty by and with the
advice and consent of this present Generall Assembly and the Author-
ity of the same, that all publick and maine Roades be hereafter cleared
and grubbed fitt for Travailing Twenty foote wide and good and
Substantiall Bridges made over all heads of Creeks and Branches
where need shall require at the discretion of the Justices of the
County Courts, and for the better ascertaining and knowing what are
or shall be deemed Publick Roades, Be it likewise Enacted that the
Justices of the County Courts, shall once Every year sett downe and
ascertain in their records what are the Publick Roades of that
County, and when they have soe done, shall send the Coppy thereof
to his Excellency the Govern^r or Commander in Cheife, and Councill,
and that no Person whatsoever shall allter or change any such Pub-
lick Roade without the Leve or Licence of the Govern^r & Councill
or the Justices of the County Courts, under the penallty of five hun-
dred pounds of Tobbacco, And for the preventing of any neglect of
any Overseers of the high Ways or for punishing the same, the
Justices of the severall Countys within this Province are hereby

Acts of
Sept. 1696,
ch. 23