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Saturday Morning 30th November 1765
This House met according to Adjournment
Present as Yesterday
The following Message with the Bill entitled an Act for the Benefit
of the Poor and Encouragement of Industry was sent by Daniel
Dulany Esquire
By the Upper House of Assembly Nov.r 30..th 1765
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U. H. J.
Liber No. 36
Nov. 30
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Gentlemen
The Bill entitled an Act for the Benefit of the Poor and Encourage-
ment of Industry being amended agreeable to the Proposal made in
your Message of Yesterday will meet with the Concurrence of this
House.
Signed p Order Upton Scott Cl: Up: Ho:
The following Message with the Bill entitled an Act for the Relief
of certain languishing Prisoners in the several Goals therein men-
tioned sent by Daniel Dulany Esquire.
By the Upper House of Assembly Nov..r 30:th 1765.
Gentlemen
The Clause we proposed to be inserted in the Bill "for the Relief
of Prisoners" to compel Single Persons of sufficient Ability of Body
to make Satisfaction to their Creditors by servitude, is, in our
Opinion, too just to be altogether evaded. Whether there are any
Prisoners who have offered to make satisfaction to all their Credit-
ors by Servitude, and have had their Overtures rigirously rejected
by them, is a Fact of which we have no Evidence, and as Justice
requires of the Debtor to make Satisfaction to his Creditor, by all
the Reasonable Means in his Power, & among these, we think, his
Service ought to be considered, when he is able to perform it, without
leaving a dependant Family destitute of the support which he might
earn and provide by his Industry, we cannot entirely relinquish the
Amendment, if however, any of the single Persons included in the
Amendment should have made Offers since their Confinement to
satisfy their Creditors by Servitude, we are willing to admit of such
a Mitigation of the Clause, as will with more Favour distinguish
their Case from that of other Debtors who have not discovered the
like honest Inclination to do Justice to their Creditors, with this
View we propose, that the following Clause be inserted in the Place
of that to which you object. Viz.t
"And be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid that if any of the
Persons intended to be relieved by this Act are & shall be of sufficient
Ability of Body to Labour such Person or Persons not having Wife
or Family shall be & are hereby obliged to serve for a Time not
exceeding Five Years to any Person or Persons who are or shall be
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p. 2.39
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