Be it Enacted, by the Right
Honourable Lord Proprietary, by and with
the Advice and Consent of his Lordship's Governor, and the upper and
Lower Houses of Assembly, and the Authority of the same, That from
and after the End of Twelve Months after the End of this General Assembly,
all Masters of Ships nd Vessels, or Others, importing Irish Servants,
being
Papists, into this Province, by Land or by Water, at the Time of their
Entry,
shall pay unto the Naval Officer for the Time being, belonging to such
Port
or Place where they make their Entry, the additional Sum of Twenty Shillings
Current Money, over and above the Twenty Shillings Sterling per Poll
imposed by a former Act of Assembly of this Province, for every Irish
Servant
so imported, on Penalty and Forfeiture if Five Pounds Current Money for
every Servant that shall be by him or them concealed at the Time of his
or
their Entry as aforesaid, the one Half thereof to be appropriated for
defraying
the Public Charge of this Province, the other half to the informer, or
to
him or them that shall sue for the same; to be recovered in his Lordship's
Name, in any Court, of Record within this Province, that shall have Jurisdiction
of the same, by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information, wherein
no Essoin, Protection or Wager of Law to be allowed.
II. And for
the better Discovery of such Irish Papists; Be
it further Enacted,
by the Authority, Advice and Consent aforesaid, That the
Naval Officers
for the Time being, belonging to the several and respective Districts within
this Province, be, and are hereby authorized, impowered and required to
administer
to every such Irish Servant, except Children under the Age of Fourteen
Years, (to be adjudged at the Discretion of the Naval Officer) so imported
as aforesaid, the several Oaths appointed by Act of Assembly, and cause
them to subscribe the Oath of Abjuration and the Test; and all and every
such Servants that shall refuse to take the Oaths, and sign the Oath and
Test
as aforesaid, (except before excepted) shall be and are hereby deemed and
declared
Papists, for whom the Owner or Importer shall be obliged to pa the
additional Duty, as aforesaid.
And be it further Enacted,
by the Authority, Advice and Consent aforesaid,
That from and after the Time aforesaid, for every Negro imported into
this Province, either by Land or Water, the Importer or Importers of such
Negroes, shall pay unto the Naval Officer aforesaid, the Sum of Twenty
Shillings Current Money per Poll, over and above the Twenty Shillings Sterling |
A Duty of
20 s. Currency
per poll,
over and above
the 20 s.
Sterling imposed
by the
Act of 1715,
ch. 36, §. 7,
laid on Irish
Servants being
papists.
Penalty for
concealing any
such Servant
at the
Time of Entry.
The Naval
Officers shall
administer
the Oaths,
&c. to every
such Irish
Servant, and
such as refuse
shall be deemed
Papists.
A Duty of
20 s. Currency
per Poll,
laid on all
Negroes imported,
over
and above the
20 s. Sterling. |
