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

No. 26

Liber R. G.

1773
[Preamble.]

An Act for emitting Bills of Credit and applying Part thereof —
Whereas an Emission of Bills of Credit is at this Time of General
Scarcity of Specie thought expedient for carrying on the Trade and
Commerce of this Province and for answering divers other Beneficial
Public Purposes.

[Bills of
Credit to be
printed un-
der Direc-
tion of the
Commis-
sioners.]

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 Bills of Credit of the Denomination of Dollars and
Parts of a Dollar to the amount of four hundred and Eighty thou-
sand Dollars that is to say Two hundred and sixty six thousand
six hundred and sixty six Dollars and two third parts of a Dollar
for Loan Eighty thousand Dollars for the purposes herein after
particularly mentioned and for such other Purposes as shall here-
after be appointed by Act of the General Assembly and One hundred
and thirty three thousand Three hundred and Thirty three Dollars
and one third part of a Dollar for the Purpose of exchanging such
of the said Bills as shall be emitted in Virtue of this Act and which
shall become torn defaced and unfit to pass shall be printed and
struck with all convenient Speed on good single Paper under the
Care and Direction of the Commissioners appointed or to be ap-
pointed by Virtue of an Act entitled An Act for emitting Bills of
Credit and other purposes therein mentioned in Manner and fform

p. 284

following to wit. "This Indented Bill of shall entitle
the Bearer hereof to receive Bills of Exchange payable in London
or Gold and Silver at the Rate of four Shillings and six Pence
Sterling per Dollar for the said Bill according to the Directions of
an Act of Assembly of Maryland dated in Annapolis this
Day of Anno Domini 1774 which Bills of Credit shall
be Signed numbered and dated by the Commissioners aforesaid as
hereinafter directed and the Number of Dollars or the parts or part
of a Dollar by which each Bill shall be denominated shall be printed
at the Top of such Bill in Words at length with the like Devices and
Marks on the Bills and by the like Stamps and flowers as were used
in printing the Bills of Credit last emitted in this Province as well
readily to distinguish their several Denominations as to prevent

[Their
Number
and Denomi-
nation.]

Counterfeits The Number of which Bills as well as the Denomina-
tions thereof shall be the following and no other to wit Eighteen
Thousand Bills of Eight Dollars each Eighteen Thousand Bills of
six Dollars each Eighteen Thousand Bills of four Dollars each
Thirty one thousand five hundred Bills of two Dollars each Thirty
four Thousand five hundred Bills of one Dollar each Thirty one
Thousand five hundred Bills of two third parts of a Dollar each
Twenty seven thousand Bills of Half a Dollar each Thirty one
Thousand five hundred Bills of one third of a Dollar each Twenty
seven thousand Bills of two Ninth parts of a Dollar each Twenty