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Session
Laws
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And whereas daily Experience shews the great Prejudice to the
Owners and Masters of Merchant Ships, and Vessels, trading into
this Province, by Ordinary-keepers entertaining of Sailors and
others, to such Ships and Vessels belonging, and trusting, and en-
couraging them to continue tippling in their Houses to the Preju-
dice of Trade, preventing and impeding the Dispatch of such Ships
and Vessels; and very often when such Sailors have spent all their
Wages in such Ordinaries, it occasions and induces them to run
away, and desert the Ships and Vessels whereto they belong: For
Prevention whereof,
Be it Enacted, by the Authority, Advice, and Consent aforesaid,
That no Ordinary-keeper whatsoever, within this Province, shall
presume to harbour or entertain any Sailor, or Sailors, or other Per-
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p. 13
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sons imployed in loading of Ships and Vessels, (the Master and
Mate only excepted) to the Neglect of their Service to their respective
Commanders, and Prejudice to the Dispatch of any Ship, or Vessel
thereby, under the Pain and Penalty of being suspended from keep-
ing such Ordinary: And that no Ordinary-keeper whatsoever shall
credit any such Sailor, for more than Five Shillings, during any one
Voyage, under the Penalty of losing his Debt, and fined to His Lord-
ship, His Heirs, and Successors, the Sum of Twenty Shillings Cur-
rent Money; whereof One Half to be applied as aforesaid, the other
Half to the Informer, or him, or them, that will sue for the same;
to be recovered as aforesaid, before a single Magistrate.
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any
Ordinary-keeper, within this Province, shall harbour, entertain, or
sell any Liquors to any Servant belonging to any Person within
this Province, without Licence from their respective Master, or Mis-
tress, such Ordinary-keeper shall, for every such Offence, forfeit and
pay Ten Shillings to the Master or Mistress of such Servant; to be
recovered with Costs, upon Complaint of the said Master or Mistress,
before a Justice of the County where the said Ordinary keeper lives.
And whereas it is a general Complaint throughout this Province,
That Ordinary-keepers have made it their constant Practice to en-
tertain Tradesmen, and other Persons, having Families, and no
other Means of supporting them but their own Labour and Industry,
and single disorderly Persons, tippling and gaming in their Houses,
and wasting their Time and Substance, to the Ruin of their Families,
and themselves, and the Encouragement of Idleness, Drunkenness,
and all other Irregularities and Disorders: For Prevention of which
Evils for the Future,
Be it Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That no Person who
shall be licensed to keep Ordinary, from and after the Publication
of this Act, shall suffer any Tradesmen, or other Person, having a
Family, and no visible Estate whereby to support themselves, or their
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