Acts. 183

shall not be Lawful for any Person or Persons on any Pretence
whatsoever to buy barter purchase or take into his her or their
Possession or to sell or offer to sale either directly or indirectly any
Trashy or unmerchantable Tobacco either loose or in hands in
Bundle Bulk Parcel Case Hogshead or other Package whatsoever

Liber R. G.
1773

except such Tobacco as hath been heretofore lodged in any Inspection
House in Pursuance of any former Law under the Penalty of four
Pounds of Tobacco for every Pound of Tobacco so bought bartered
purchased taken into his or their Possession or sold or offered to
Sale as aforesaid

p. 225

And for the further Discovering and punishing so pernicious a
Practice Be it enacted that if either Party offending as aforesaid
shall make Information against the other Party or Parties so as
aforesaid offending and shall prosecute such other Party or Parties
so that he she or they be of the Offences aforesaid or either of them
Lawfully convict to which Purpose any or either of the Parties
aforesaid are hereby enacted and declared to be good and sufficient
Evidence such Person so as aforesaid informing and prosecuting
shall be indemnified and saved harmless from any Prosecution for
the said Offence

[One party
informing
against the
others, to be
indemni-
fied.]

And be it enacted that as often as any Magistrate shall be informed
by any Credible Person on Oath or Affirmation if a Quaker that
he suspects and verily beleives any Trashy or unmerchantable To-
bacco is in any particular Tobacco House Barn or other Out House
Ship or other Vessel Inclosure or other Place whatsoever it shall
and may be lawful for such Magistrate and he is hereby authorized
and required immediately upon such Information either to raise and
Compel Assistance and to proceed himself or by Warrant under
his hand and Seal directed to such Informer or others thereby
authorizing and directing him or them to Compel Assistance and to
proceed forthwith to such or any other suspected Place as aforesaid
and there quietly enter it (except such House or Place be on the
Plantation where such Trashy or unmerchantable Tobacco shall
appear by the Oath or Affirmation if a Quaker of the Owner or of
any other Credible Person to have been made or on some other
Plantation belonging to such Person who made such Tobacco and
also except in inspecting Houses and other Houses used by In-
spectors for the convenient Carrying on and execution of this Act)
And if the Person having the Care of such Place be present and
will immediately permit such Entry or if the Party having the Care
of such Place be not then present or being present will not permit
such Entry then to enter forciably into such or any other suspected
Place and there to search for any such Tobacco as aforesaid and
the same being found to take and carry away and also all other
Trashy or unmerchantable Tobacco as shall be then there found to
the next Inspecting House by such Officer or Officers aforesaid

[Magis-
trates may
enter any
suspected
Place,
quietly, if
permitted by
the Owner,
or forcible,
if refused, to
search for
unmerchant-
able To-
bacco, and
carry it to
the next
Inspection
House.]