Preamble.
Penalty on
Horse Racing
within Five
Miles of the
Quakers
yearly Meetings.
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WHEREAS the People called Quakers, have by the Petition to
this present General Assembly, set forth, and complained, That
(notwithstanding the former Indulgence of the Legislature in restraining
Booths, and other Places for selling Liquor, from being set up, or
kept within Two Miles of their Meeting-house at West-River,
and One Mile
of their Meeting-house at Third-Haven Creek, in Talbot County,
which Favour
they most gratefully acknowledge,) they, as well as those of other Persuasions
who resort to their Yearly Meetings, labour under and suffer many
Inconveniencies from the great Concourse of idle and prostigate White
People,
and great Crowds of Negroes that assemble together at the usual Times of
their Yearly Meetings, held at their said Meeting-houses, drinking
to Excess,
and behaving in riotous and turbulent Manner, at Booths, and other
Places where Strong and Spirituous Liquor can be had, at greater Distances
than before mentioned; and that hey have for some Years last past, been
greatly incommoded and endangered in passing and repassing to and from
their
said Meeting-house, in Talbot County, by Multitudes of rude and
disorderly
People, that gather together to Run Horse-Races on the Road between the
said Meeting-house at Third-Haven Creek, and a Place near thereto,
called
New-Market: For Prevention of which Evils for the future,
they have prayed
that it may be Enacted-----
N.B. By the Act of 1752,
ch. 14, §. 4, (for amending and explaining the present Act)
so
much of this act prohibits the Setting up and Erecting any Booth or Conveniency;
or selling
or disposing of any Strong or Spirituous Liquors, or other Accommodations;
or giving any Entertainment
to any Persons, at a Distance less than Three Miles, (viz.
§. II, III, IV, V, VI,
and IX,) is Repealed. The aforesaid Sections are therefore omitted.
But the Penalties in this
Act are to ba applied according to the Directions in §. II, viz.
" One Half to the Informer, or
" him or them who will sue for the same, the other Half to the Use of the
County-School where
" such Offence shall be committed; to be recovered in any Court of Record
within this Province,
" by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, or Information; wherein no Essoin, Protection,
or
" Wager of Law shall be allowed.
II. And
be it further Enacted, That no Person or Persons whatsoever,
shall hereafter Run or Pace any Race or Races, with any Horse, Mare,
or
Gelding, for any wager or Wagers, for Diversion, or on any Pretence whatsoever,
on the Ground commonly called New-Market, in Talbot County,
or
within the Distance of Five Miles from the Meeting-house in the said County,
or within Five Miles of the Meeting-house on West-River, in Anne-Arundel
County, on the Days on which the said Meetings, or either of them,
shall
be kept and held, under the Penalty of the Owner or Owners of such Horse,
Mare, or Gelding, who shall so Run or Pace his Horse, Mare, or Gelding,
or knowingly suffer them to be Run or Paced, forfeiting and paying for
every
such Race Five Pounds Current Money, to be recovered and applied as aforesaid.
And the Person or Persons who shall presume to make any Horse-race,
lay any Wager on such Race, or Run for his or their Diversion, or who shall |
