332 Assembly Proceedings, Oct. 2-Nov. 17, 1753.

Liber H. S.
No. I

other Ports or Places whatsoever, out of this Province, without a
Permit for so doing, they will forthwith make Information and a

[Penalty for
not taking
the Oath.]

particular Discovery thereof to the next Justice of the Peace of the
County where such Tobacco shall be. And that all Sheriffs and
Under-Sheriffs respectively, which shall after the said Thirtieth Day
of November be Appointed or Sworn into the said Offices, shall,
at the Time of their being Sworn, take the same Oath, and obtain
a Certificate thereof; and every such Officer failing so to do, shall
forfeit Five Pounds Current Money to the Informer, to be recov-
ered with Costs, by Action of Debt or Information, in any Court of
Record within this Province. And every Inspector and Constable
shall take the same Oath, or Affirmation if a Quaker, at the first
Court held for the County where he resides, or at the same Court
if Sworn at the County Court, after he shall be Sworn into his
Office, under the like Penalty.

[Justices to
issue War-
rants for
searching
suspected
Vessels.]

And be it likewise Enacted, That any Justice of the Peace of any
County, near the Place where any Ship, Sloop, Boat, or other
Vessel, shall ride, upon Application to him made by any Person
suspecting any Tobacco in Bulk or Parcel, Hogshead or Hogsheads,
to be laden on board such Ship, Sloop, Boat, or other Vessel, con-
trary to the Directions of this Act, such Justice shall, and he is
hereby impowered and required to issue his Warrant, directed to the
Sheriff, or any Constable of his County, and the Sheriff, or Con-
stable, shall have full Power and Authority, and he is hereby re-
quired to enter and go on board such Ship, Sloop, Boat, or other
Vessel, to search for and seize such Tobacco, and the same being
seized, shall be brought on Shore, and carried before the same, or
any other Justice, who shall cause the same to be immediately
weighed, and if trashy or bad, immediately burnt, if good, carried
to the Inspecting-House, there to be Inspected, and sold for the

p. 70

Use of the County. And if any Master, Owner, or commanding
Officer of any Ship, or Vessel, or the Skipper of any Sloop, Boat, or
other Vessel, or any other Person whatsoever, shall resist the Officer
in the Execution of any such Warrant, every such Master, Owner, or

[Masters or
Skippers re-
sisting, to be
fined 50l.
and the
Sailors, each

20 l.]

commanding Officer, shall forfeit and pay Fifty Pounds, and every
such Skipper, Sailor, or other Person so resisting, shall forfeit and
pay Twenty Pounds; which Forfeitures shall be recovered in any
Court of Record of this Province, by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, or
Information, wherein no Essoin, Protection, or Wager of Law, nor
more than one Imparlance shall be allowed; one Half thereof to the
Informer, the other Half to be applied to the several and respective
Counties to defray the Expence that hath or may accrue in the due
Execution of this Act. And if any Action shall be brought against
any Justice of the Peace, Sheriff, Under-Sheriff, or Constable, or
other Officer appointed by this Act, for doing any Thing in Execu-
tion of this Act, the Defendant may plead the General Issue, and