276 Assembly Proceedings, October ^-November 30, 1771.

Liber R. G.
1771

shall be in the first Place, after Satisfaction of the Sheriffs, as afore-
said, applied to the Discharge of the said Creditors according to the
Order & Priority of their Judgments, & the Lien arising therefrom
and that the Residue of the Estate & Interest of the said Prisoners,
respectively or the Produce thereof shall be distributed among all
their Creditors that shall apply therefor, within thirty Days after
the aforesaid Sale, in equal Proportion to their Demands.

[Bonds, &c.
belonging to
the Prisoners
to be as-
signed to the
Sheriff.].

And be it further enacted That all the Accounts, Bonds, Notes,
and other Demands which any of the said Prisoners have against
any Person or Persons whatsoever shall be by the said Prisoner
or Prisoners, assigned to the Sheriff in whose Custody such Prisoner
or Prisoners shall be, at the Time of their Discharge & that such
Sheriff or Sheriffs shall & may maintain an Action or Actions, on
such Demands, as Assignee of such Prisoner or Prisoners, in his
own Name.

[Proviso.]

Provided always That such Creditor or Creditors require & de-
mand such Sheriff to sue & give to such Sheriffs a Bond to indemnify
him against any Charge that may accrue to him by Means of any
such Suit, & in Case of Recovery that then the Sheriff make Dis-
tribution of what shall be recovered to the Person or Persons giving
him such Security as aforesaid.

F Prisoners,
if single, to
be sold for
Five Years.]
p. 142

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid that if any
of the Persons intended to be releived by this Act, are and shall be
of sufficient Ability of Body, to labour, such Person or Persons, not
having a 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 inclined to purchase the Time of Servitude of such Debtor
or Debtors & that the respective Sheriffs in whose Custody the afore-
said Debtors or any of them are, be and are hereby authorized and
obliged to summon two Justices of the Peace in the respective Coun-
ties, at the Request of the said Prisoners as soon as conveniently
may be after the End of this Session of Assembly and after giving
five Days Notice, at the Court House of the respective Counties
of the intended Sale of such Debtor or Debtors, expose to Sale in
the Presence of the said Justices, such Debtor or Debtors & the
Time of his or their Servitude, to the highest Bidder, & the Money
arising from such Sale, shall be as Effects of such Debtor or Debtors
in the Hands of the respective Sheriffs, subject as aforesaid, to a
Distribution in Manner aforesaid, and the Sale and Service of such
Debtor or Debtors as aforesaid, is hereby directed to be taken as a
full and sufficient Acquittal and Discharge against all Debts due
from such Debtor or Debtors before such Sale, provided that in
Case it shall appear to the Satisfaction of the said Justices, that
any of the said Debtors have offered since their Confinement to make
Satisfaction to their Creditors by Servitude & that their Creditors