422 Assembly Proceedings, Sept. 21-Oct. 29, 1742.

Session
Laws

Cannon, John West, William Clements, junior, Samuel Peck,
Edmund Melton, Francis Tate, George Russell, William Willoughby
James, Robert Walmsley, Solomon Trener, and Garret Corbert, by
their humble Petition to this present General Assembly, have set
forth, that they have continued Prisoners for Debt in the Custody of
the Sheriffs of the several Counties aforesaid, and still continue in
the like deplorable Circumstances, and not being able to redeem their
Bodies with all the Estate or Interest that they have in the World,
which they would readily deliver up and part with to their several
and respective Creditors, if they would accept the same and Grant
the said Petitioners their Liberty, which seems so unlikely for them
to obtain, that unless relieved by a particular Act Passed in their
Favours, which by their said Petition they have humbly prayed, they
must inevitably continue Prisoners for Life. And for that the Truth
of the said Petitioner's Allegations are made appear to this present
General Assembly by sufficient Testimony, and that the said Peti-
tioners are fit Objects of Charity, and that their lying in Goal can be
no Benefit to their Creditors, it is humbly Prayed that the said Peti-
tioners may be Relieved according to their Prayers, and that it may
be Enacted,
And be it Enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary,
by and with the Advice and Consent of his Lordship's Governor, and
the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly, and the Authority of the

p. 36

same, That unless all or any of the Creditor or Creditors of any of
the said Prisoners, or the Attorney of such Creditors aforesaid within
this Province, shall, within Twenty Days after the End of this Ses-

Creditors to
go to the
Sheriffs in
20 Days,
and give
security for
Fees, &c.

sion of Assembly, go to the Sheriffs of the aforesaid Counties of
Anne-Arundel, Prince George's, Calvert, Talbot, Charles, Queen-
Anne's, Somerset, St. Mary's, and Caecil, and give good Security to
pay the Imprisonment Fees the Sum of Ten Pounds of Tobacco per
Day, that shall or may become due from the said Prisoners respec-
tively, after the end of the said Twenty Days, and also find the said
Prisoners, sufficient Meat, Drink and Cloathing, during their future
Imprisonment; and in case they the said Prisoners shall deliver up
and surrender, or cause to be delivered up and surrendered, to the
Sheriffs of the Counties aforesaid, in the Presence of Two Justices of
the Peace of the said Counties, whom the said Sheriffs are hereby
required to Summon, on the request of the said Prisoners, at some
convenient Time after the receipt of this Act, not exceeding Ten
Days, all their Real and Personal Estate, either in Possession, Re-
version, Remainder, or in Trust, or in or unto which they have any
Claim or Interest whatsoever, and likewise before the Day before
mentioned, convey, assign, transfer, and make over, unto the Sheriffs
of Anne-Arundel, Prince George's, Calvert, Talbot, Charles, Queen-
Anne's Somerset, St. Mary's, and Caecil, Counties, for the use of the
said Creditors, all such their Estate, Interest or Claim as aforesaid,
after such manner as by the said Sheriffs, and by the major Part of