446 Assembly Proceedings, November 5-21, 1770.

Liber R. G.
1770

spective Creditors if they would accept of the same and Grant the
said Petitioners their Liberty which seems so unlikely for them to
obtain that (unless relieved by a Particular Act to be passed in their
favour) they must inevitably continue Prisoners for Life.
Be it therefore Enacted by the right Honourable the Lord Pro-
prietary by and with the Advice and Consent of his Lordships Gov-

p. 94

ernor and the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly and the
Authority of the same, That in case the said Prisoners shall Deliver

[Prisoners
to be dis-
charged on
delivering up
their effects
on Oath.]

up and Surrender or Cause to be Delivered up and Surrendered to
the Sheriffs of the Respective Countys aforesaid in the Presence
of two Justices of the Peace of the Counties aforesaid whom the said
Sheriffs are hereby required to summon at the request of the said
Prisoners at some Convenient time after the end of this session of
Assembly all their Real and Personal Estate either in Possession
Reversion Remainder or in trust or in or unto Which they have any
Claim or interest whatsoever and likewise convey Assign Transfer
and make over unto the Sheriffs respectively 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 such
Creditors or such of them as shall think fitt to direct therein or their
Council Learned in the Law shall reasonably devise or require at
the Costs and Charges of the Persons who shall claim Benefit thereof
so that the said Prisoners be not burthened with any Warrantees
thereby other than against themselves or those claiming by from
or under them and that the said Prisoners at the time of such
their Surrender and transfer ing their Estate as aforesaid shall take
their Solemn Oaths (or Affirmation if Quakers) before the said two

[The Oath.]

Justices aforesaid to the effect following viz.^t "I AB do Affirm or
Solemnly Swear that the Goods Debts & Effects which I have de-
livered assigned and made over to the Sheriff of County in
trust for the use of my Creditors is the whole Estate both Real
and Personal of my own in Possession or that I have any title to in
the world and that I have not any Estate Goods or Effects of any
kind whatsoever left either in Possession Reversion or Remainder
(the necessary wearing apparel of my self Wife and Children and
Working Tools Excepted) and that I have not directly or indirectly
sold Leased or otherwise conveyed disposed of or intrusted all or
any part of my Estate thereby to defraud my Creditors or to secure
the same to receive or expect any Profit or Advantage thereof so
help me God" it shall and may be Lawful for the Sheriffs of the
Counties aforesaid to discharge the said Prisoners and Suffer them
to go at Large

[To be
discharged
from future
Arrests on
Appearance,
&c.]

And be it further Enacted that if the said Prisoners or any of them
shall be arrested or imprisoned on any process sued out on any Judg-
ment or decree obtained against any of them for any Debt Damages
or Costs contracted owing or growing due before the End of this
Session of Assembly the Court out of which such Process issued