Acts. 475

in Hogsheads it is absolutely necessary that the Gauge of Tobacco
Hogsheads should be ascertained
Be it Enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary
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 from and after the first day of October next ensueing
no Hogshead or Hogsheads wherein any Tobacco shall be packed
shall Exceed forty Eight Inches in the Stave and thirty two Inches
in the Diameter of the head within the Croze or thirty seven Inches
in the Diameter of the Bulge And for deterring all Persons whatso-
ever from the Committing any fraud in the Gauge of their Tobacco
Hogsheads Contrary to the true intent and meaning of this Act Be
it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that it shall and
may be Lawfull for any Person or Persons suspecting or knowing of
any Hogshead or Hogsheads that shall Exceed the Gauge aforesaid
to Call to his Assistance any Justice of Peace Sheriff Coroner or Con-
stable living or residing within the County where such Tobacco
Hogsheads shall be suspected or known and to Enter into any house
Warehouse Ship Boat or other Vessell and there in the Presence of
such Justice or other Officer aforesaid who are hereby required to
be Aiding and Assisting to such informer therein to seize and Mark
with the Broad Arrow Every such Hogshead or Hogsheads of To-
bacco as such informer shall request such Justice or other Officer to
veiw on Suspicion of Exceeding the Gauge aforesaid And also that
such Justice 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 Gauge thereof so as no Hogshead or Hogs-
heads of Tobacco Stowed away on board any Ship or other Sea Ves-
sell shall on such Information be unstovved unless such Hogshead or
Hogsheads appear in View and if upon such Examination any Hogs-
head or Hogsheads shall by any such Justice or other Officer afore-
said be found to Exceed the Gauge aforesaid it shall and may be Law-
full for such Justice or other Officer immediately to Condemn the
same to the use of such Informer who shall thereupon be immediately
invested with the Property thereof And the Judgment of such Jus-
tice or other officer therein shall be final and if the Tobacco so seized
and Condemned as aforesaid should happen to be packed and paid
away by any other Person than the Party in whose possession the
same shall be so seized and Condemned as aforesaid then and in all
such Cases the Person or Persons by whose Order the same was
packed and paid away as aforesaid shall satisfye and pay the Party
to whom such Tobacco shall belong at the time of such Seizure and
Condemnation as aforesaid the like Quantity of Tobacco so seized
and Condemned as aforesaid to be recovered before one Justice of
the Peace in the County where such Person or Persons actually
reside who shall pack and pay away such Tobacco so seized and
Condemned as aforesaid Together with the Plaintiffs reall Cost ex-

Lib. B. T. C.