240 Assembly Proceedings, November 16-December 23, 1773.

No. 24

Liber R. G.

1773
[Preamble.]

An Act for the more effectual Preservation of the Breed of Wild
Deer.

Whereas it has been represented to this General Assembly that
the Species of Deer hath of late Years been very much lessened, for
the Prevention whereof it is thought proper by this General Assembly
to pass an Act restraining all persons whatsoever from shooting or
otherwise destroying them for a limited Time.

[Penalty on
Persons kill-
ing Deer
during
Three
Years;]

Be it therefore enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Pro-
prietary by and with the Advice and Consent of his Governor and
the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly and the Authority of
the same That it shall not be Lawful for any Person or Persons
whatsoever within this Province (the Indians in Amity with us
excepted) from and after the End of this Session of Assembly
during the Term of three Years to kill any Deer under the Penalty

[How to be
recovered
and applied.]

of Ten pounds Current Money for every Deer so killed to be
recovered in the County Court where the said Offence shall be com-
mitted by Indictment or Information one half of which said Sum
of ten Pounds shall be applied to the Use of the County School
where such Offence shall be committed and the other half to be
received by the Person who shall make Information of the said
Offence.

[Persons in
whose
Hands Deers
Flesh is
found to be
deemed the
Killers.]

And be it further enacted that any Person or Persons whatsoever
in whose hands or Custody any Deers flesh shall be found that shall
appear to have been killed on or before the End of the said three
Years shall be deemed taken and adjudged the Killer of such Deer
and liable to the Penalty aforesaid unless such Person shall make it
appear who it was that really killed the same or from whom such
Person or Persons thereof possessed received the same

[Inhabitants
of this Prov-
ince not to
purchase
dead Deer of
Indians.]
p. 282

And be further enacted that it is the true Intent and meaning of
this Act that the Liberty given to the Indians Iforesaid shall extend
only to the killing of Deer for their private Use and not for Sale
and that it shall not be Lawful for any Inhabitant within this Prov-
ince under the Penalty aforesaid to be recovered as aforesaid for
the Uses aforesaid to purchase any Dead Deer or any Part thereof

[Nor to kill
Deer dur-
ing Three
Years, nor
afterwards
except in
September
and Octo-
ber.]
[Justices of
County
Courts to
give this
Act in
Charge to
their Grand
Juries, &c.]

of any Indian or Indians within the Time prohibited by this Act to
kill Deer.

And be it further enacted That no Person or Persons whatsoever
shall shoot or otherwise destroy any Deer after the End of this
present Sessions of Assembly for and during the Term of three
Years and that no Person or Persons whatsoever after the Expiration
of the said Three Years shall shoot kill or destroy any Deer during
the Continuance of this Act except in the Months of September
and October Yearly.
And be it further enacted that the Justices of the several County
Courts shall and they are hereby required to give this Act in Charge