Provincial Court Proceedings, 1679. 43

And whereupon the said Theophilus Turford by Christopher
Rousby his Attorney complaineth, that whereas by an Act of Assem-
bly made att a Gen" Assembly begun & held att the City of S^t Maryes
the day of & there continued by severall Adjournm^ts &
Prorogacons till the day of And there continued till
the day of one thousand Six hundred Seventy eight
Itt was amongst other things Enacted by the right Hon^ble the Lord
Prop^ry by & with the consent of the upper & lower houses of that
p^rsent Gen^ll Assembly that what person soever shall dispose of
any tobacco or other Goods seized on or received by Sheriffes for
fines Leavyes or his Lordshipps rent or other publick Officers fees Or
that shall alter or scratch out the marke of any tobacco so received,
Or that shall alter or change the quality of tobacco so received or by
any M^rchant or other received either by uncaseing or otherwise with-

Liber W. C.

out Law full order or warrant in writeing under hand of such sher-
iffe who received the same, or of such M^rchant or other person who
received & marked the same or for whose use the same was received
& marked shall be lyable being convicted by confession or sufficient
witnes in some Court of this Province to restore foure fold to the
party grieved And to stand in the pillory two full houres dureing
the Court tyme with his offence fairly written in a peice of paper &
placed upon his back The said Theophilus in fact saith, that the said
Christoph^r Hassell not ignorant of the p^rmisses, but the said Act
contemning, & the said Theophilus Turford in this behalfe craftily &
subtily to defraud & deceive, did upon the Eighth day of ffebruary
One thousand six hundred Seventy eight & att sundry other tymes
untill the tenth day of April then next following receive dispose of
take & carry away from severall houses in Petuxent river within the
County aforesaid twenty foure severall hogsheads of tobacco of the
proper Goods & Chattles of the said Theophilus Turford & by him
& his receivers for his use formerly received & marked containing
the neat quantity of tenn thousand foure hundred forty & one
pounds of tobacco contrary to the said Act of Assembly, whereby
action is accrued to the said Theophilus to have & demand of the
said Christop^r Hassel foure fold according to the said Act amount-
ing to the Sume of forty one thousand seven hundred & sixty foure
pounds of tobacco & thereupon he brings his suite &c
And the said Christopher Hassell by Robert Ridgely his Attorney
cometh & defendeth the force & injury when &c and prayeth liberty
to imparle hereunto untill next Provinciall Court & itt is granted
unto him, the same day is given to the plaintiffe also
Now here att this day to witt the ffifteenth day of Octob^r in the
fourth yeare of the Dominion of the right Hon^ble Charles Lord
Baltemore &c Annoq Doni 1679 came the said parties by their
Attorneys aforesaid And the said Christopher by his said Attorney
saith that he is in no wise guilty of the p^rmisses above imposed upon

p. 41