POOR.

2156

receive relief, shall, upon the shoulder of the right sleeve of
the uppermost garment of every such person, in an open and
visible manner, wear such badge or mark as is herein after
mentioned and expressed ; that is to say, a large Roman P.
together with the first letter of the name of Saint Mary's
county, cut either in red or blue cloth, as by the overseer of
the poor shall be directed and appointed ; and if such poor
person shall neglect or refuse to wear such badge or mark as
aforesaid, and in manner as aforesaid, it shall and may be lawful
for any one of the trustees aforesaid, to punish every such offen-
der for every such offence, either by ordering his or her relief
or usual allowance to be abridged, suspended or withdrawn, or
otherwise by ordering such offender to be whipt, not exceed-
ing twenty lashes, and kept to hard labour for any number of
days not exceeding twenty-one, as to the said trustee shall
seem meet ; and if any overseer of the poor shall receive into
the said alms and work-house, or shall relieve any such per-
son, not having and wearing such badge or mark as aforesaid,
and be thereof convicted upon the oath of one or more credible
witness or witnesses, shall forfeit and pay the sum of five
pounds current money.

wear a
badge, &c.

SEC. 19. And be it further enacted, That whosoever shall
presume, either to set up a booth, stall, or other convenience,
for the selling of strong liquors, on the land purchased for the
use of the said alms or work-house, or shall commit any
kind of trespass thereon, or shall sell or dispose of any strong
liquor, or other matter or thing whatsoever to any poor, or
other person entertained in said alms and work-house, shall,
for every such offence, forfeit and pay the sum of ten pounds
current money.

Penalty on
keeping
booth, &c.

SEC. 20. And be it further enacted, That all and every the ;
pains, penalties and forfeitures, herein before by this act di-
rected and inflicted, shall and may be recovered in the county
court of said county, by action of debt, founded on this act, or
indictment, wherein no essoin, protection or wager of law, or
more than one imparlance, shall be allowed, any thing in this
act herein before contained to the contrary thereof in anywise
notwithstanding, one moiety to the informer, the other moiety
to the use of the alms and work-house of said county ; in
which actions of debt it shall be sufficient for the plaintiff to
allege, that the defendant or defendants are indebted to the
plaintiff the sums of money or tobacco by this act directed and
inflicted, whereby the plaintiff's action accrued to him, accord-
ing to the form of this act of assembly, without setting forth
the special matter ; Provided, a short note, expressing the
cause of action, be lodged in the office at the time of issuing
the writ.

Penalties,
&c. how to
be recover-
ed, &c.