Preamble.
See the Note
below, and
the act therein
referred to
One Half to
the County
School, the
other to the
Prosecutor.
Duty of a
Magistrate on
Complaint
made to him.
Ordinary-Keepers
may
sell in their
Dwelling-Houses. |
WHEREAS it is humbly represented to this present General Assembly,
by the people called Quakers, That sundry Persons setup
Booths, and sell Drink and other Things, near their Yearly Meeting-houses
within this Province, whereby those Places which were by them
intended and used as Places of solemn Worship, are converted into Places
of Traffic, Debauchery and Immorality, to their very great Disturbance
in the
Exercise of their Religion, and the Worship of GOD. And forasmuch
as
the several Methods heretofore used for the Suppression of such Irregularities
have proved altogether ineffectual: It is humbly prayed that
it may be Enacted,
II. And be it
Enacted, by the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietor, 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 whosoever
from and
after the Publication hereof, shall presume either to set up a Booth,
or sell or
dispose of any Liquor, or other matter or Thing whatsoever, either
by Land
or Water, within One Mile of the Yearly Meeting-house (of the said
People
called Quakers) in Talbot County, or within Two Miles of their
Yearly
Meeting-house near West-River in Ann-Arundel County,
during the Time of
such Yearly meetings, shall for every such Offence forfeit and pay
unto the
Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary, his Heirs and Successors, the
Sum
of Ten pounds Current Money of Maryland, one Half thereof to
be applied
to the Use of the Public School of the County where such Offence shall
be
committed, the other Half to him or them that shall sue for the same;
to be
recovered by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information; wherein no
Essoin,
protection or Wager of Law to be allowed.
By 1752, ch. 14, no Liquors
shall be sold at such Times within 3 Miles of the said Meeting-Houses,
on Penalty
of 5 l. Currency.
III. And
be it further Enacted, by the Authority, Advice and Consent
aforesaid,
That upon Complaint made to any Justice of the Peace for the County
where such Offence shall be committed, the said Justice is hereby required
immediately to issue his Warrant to cause the said Offender to be brought
before
him, and upon Proof made to him of the Premises, by the Oath (or
Affirmation if a Quaker) of one credible Witness, or Confession of
the Party,
to commit the said Offender to Prison, unless he shall remove such
Booth,
Liquor, or other Things, from without the Bounds aforesaid, and give
sufficient
Security to answer for the said Offence at the next Court to be held
for
the County where it shall be committed.
IV. Provided
always, That this Act shall not be construed to hinder any
Ordinary-Keeper from selling Liquors in their respective Dwelling-houses.
Examined and Compared with the Original Act, REVERDY GHISELIN,
THOMAS BACON. |
