220

LAWS OF MARYLAND.— 1785.

Party in
contempt to
pay a fine,
&c.

SEC. 22. And be it enacted, That in order to enforce obe-
dience to the process, rules and orders, of the chancery court,
in all cases where any party or person shall be in contempt for
disobedience, non-performance or non-observance, of any pro-
cess, rule or order, of the chancellor or chancery court, or for
any other matter or thing whatsoever, whereby or wherein a
contempt, according to the rules, law, practice or course, of the
said court may be incurred, such party or person shall, for
every such contempt, and before he shall be released or dis-
charged from the same, pay to the register in chancery, (to be
by him accounted for upon oath, and paid, at the end of every
six months, to the treasurer of the western shore, to the use of
the state,) a sum not exceeding ten pounds current money, as a
fine for the purgation of every such contempt, and that the
said party or person being in court, upon any process of con-
tempt, or otherwise, upon the order of the chancery court, shall
and may stand committed and remain in close custody, until
the said process, rule or order, shall be fully performed, obeyed
and fulfilled, and until the said fine or fines for such contempts
imposed by the said court, and the costs, shall be fully paid and
discharged.

Sheriff, &c.
may be
amerced,
&c.

SEC. 23. And be it enacted. That if any sheriff, coroner, or
other public officer or person, to whom any process or order,
according to the course of the chancery court, shall or may be
directed or delivered, shall serve and execute, and return served
or executed, and the said sheriff, coroner and other public
officer, is and are hereby authorized and commanded to serve
and execute any process of contempt, whether it be an attach-
ment of contempt, attachment with proclamations, or any order
of the chancellor commanding such sheriff, coroner, or other
public officer or person, to take and bring into court the body
or bodies of the person or persons therein mentioned, and the
said sheriff, coroner, or other public officer or person, do and
shall not bring into and have in court the body or bodies of
the person or persons mentioned, according to the tenor of the
process or order, and the return thereof, the plaintiff or person
obtaining such process or order may move, that the sheriff, coro-
ner, or other public officer or person, be amerced, and it shall
and may be lawful for the chancellor, upon motion, to amerce
such sheriff, coroner, or other public officer or person, nisi the
court next following such motion for amerciament, or the
return of the process, or order any sum of money or tobacco,
(having regard to the value of the matter, thing or sum, in
question or demand,) and fine for contempt and costs, to compel
such sheriff, coroner, or other public officer or person, to comply
with and fulfil the tenor of the process or order, and the return
thereof, as the chancellor may think proper; and that when the