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

Liber H. S.
No. I

Pounds Current Money; to be recovered with Costs, by any Person
or Persons who shall inform, or sue for the same, by Action of Debt,
Bill, Plaint, or Information, in any Court of Record within this
Province: And moreover shall be disabled from holding the Place
or Office of an Inspector, or any other Office, during the Continuance

[No Person
to offer any
Bribe or Re-
ward.]

of this Act. And if any Person or Persons shall offer any Bribe,
Reward, or Gratuity, to any Inspector, for any Thing by him to be
done in Pursuance of this Act, other than the Fees and Allowances
herein before mentioned and appointed, every Person so offending,
and being thereof convicted, shall for every such Offence forfeit and
pay Ten Pounds Current Money, to be recovered in any Court of

[Penalty.]

Record within this Province; to the Uses in this Act hereafter
mentioned.

p. 72

[Disputes
concerning
the Quality
of Tobacco
demanded of
Inspectors,
to be decided
by 3 skillful
Planters ap-
pointed by a
Magis-
trate.]

And be it further Enacted, That when any Person shall be
intitled to receive a Hogshead of Tobacco, by Virtue of any In-
spector or Inspectors Notes or Receipts, the Inspector or Inspectors
shall be obliged to open the Hogshead, and shew such Tobacco to
the Person demanding the same, if required, whether such Tobacco
be Crop or Transfer: And if such Person shall refuse to accept of
the Tobacco offered or tendered in Payment, as bad, unsound, and
unmerchantable; such Person so refusing and not accepting thereof,
shall make immediate Application to any One Justice of the Peace,
in the County where such Warehouse shall be, at which the Tobacco
so refused shall be offered or tendered in Payment, who is no
ways related to the Parties, nor concerned in Interest; and the said
Justice, by Warrant under his Hand, shall immediately appoint
Three of the most able Planters, well skilled in Tobacco, and who
are no ways related to the Parties, or concerned in Interest, to view
and examine the said Tobacco; which said Three Planters so as
aforesaid appointed, shall immediately repair before some Justice,
and shall take an Oath, or Affirmation if a Quaker, before such

[The 3
Planters to
be sworn.]

Justice, (which Oath, or Affirmation, such Justice is hereby im-
powered and required to administer), carefully to view and examine
the said Tobacco, and to the best of their Skill and Judgment, not
to pass any Tobacco that is not sound, well-conditioned, merchant-
able, and clear of trash, according to the Direction of this Act; and
that they will therein do their Duty, according to their Judgment
and Conscience, without Fear, Favour, Affection, Malice, or Par-
tiality: Which said Three Planters, so sworn, are hereby directed,
impowered, and required, upon such Application, to repair to the
Warehouse where such Tobacco shall be offered or tendered in
Payment, and carefully to view and examine the same, in such

[The Judg-
ment Of 2 Of
them to de-
termine.]

Manner as they shall think fit: And if any Two of them shall
adjudge the Tobacco, or any Part thereof, so tendered or offered
in Payment, to be bad, unsound, or unmerchantable, to cause the
same Tobacco to be immediately burnt, unless the said Inspector or
Inspectors shall desire to pick the same; in which Case the said