INSPECTIONS.

1477

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That nothing contained in this

Explana-

act shall be so construed as to affect an act to provide for the

tory.

inspection of ground black oak bark intended for exportation,

and a supplement thereto.

CASKS.

AN ACT for the Regulating the Gauging of Casks in the Town of Balti-

more.— 1774, ch. 23.

WHEREAS, great abuses are daily committed in the buying

Preamble.

and selling of wine, rum, and other liquid merchandises, in

disproportionate casks, in Baltimore town, which have been

usually gauged by the diagonal, which 'is known not to be an

exact rule to find the contents of a disproportionate cask, and

the persons selling such commodities commonly refusing to

submit to any other juethod or rule of gauging, the purchaser is

thereby imposed upon, and often suffers great loss in want of

just measure ; for the redress of which abuse for the future in

the town aforesaid,

SEC. 2. Be it enacted, by the right honourable the Lord Pro-

Casks, &c.

primary, by and with the advice and consent of his Governor,

to be
gauged, &c.

and the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly, and the autho-

rity of the same, That if any merchant or other person what-

soever shall sell, or put to sale, any butt, tun, pipe, hogshead,

barrel, or other cask of rum, wine, molasses, or other liquid

merchandise, imported, brought into or made in the said town,

before the ganger hereafter mentioned, or his deputy, shall have

plainly and truly set down or marked upon the head of such

vessel the capacity and full contents of the same, according to

the standard and excise of wine measure, by the gallon, each

person or persons shall forfeit, for the uses directed in this act,

the sum of eight pounds current money for every cask so sold

or put to sale.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That if any merchant or other

Penalty for

person shall sell, or put to sale, any such rum, wine, molasses,

selling
casks lack-

or other liquid merchandises, as aforesaid, in the said town of

ing measure

Baltimore, in any cask or vessel having the number of gallons

&c.

set down and marked on the head of such vessel, and the same

shall be found to lark of the contents marked on the said ves-

sel, such person shall forfeit and pay, to the uses directed in

this act, the sum of eight shillings current money for every

gallon marked or numbered on the said cask more than it will

truly contain.

SEC. 4. And, to the end that all persons dealing in such mer-

Gauger to

chandise may the more easily and readily be informed and

be appoint-
ed, &c.

assisted in discovering the true quantity of such liquid mer-

chandise, so imported, brought into, or made in the said town ;

Be it further enacted, That the person who shall be appointed