| 1785.
CHAP.
LVII. |
LAWS of MARYLAND.
and may be lawful for any one justice of the peace for the said county,
and
for any person authorised and appointed by such justice, to apprehend or
cause
to be apprehended and committed to the said work-house, any rogues,
vagrants, vagabonds, beggars, and other idle, dissolute and disorderly
persons,
found loitering or residing in the said county, who follow no labour,
trade, occupation or business, and have no visible means of subsistence
whereby to acquire an honest livelihood, there to be kept at hard labour
for any time not exceeding three months; and the overseer of such alms
and work-house, shall be obliged to receive any poor appointed as aforesaid
to be received, and any rogue, vagrant, vagabond, beggar, and other
idle, dissolute, and disorderly person, so as aforesaid committed. |
Poor, &c. to
wear a badge,
&c. |
XVII. And be
it enacted, That every person who shall be received into
the said alms or work-house, and there 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 the following badge, to wit, the
letters P. D. for the poor of Dorchester, and the letters P. S. for the
poor
of Somerset, cut in read 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 mark or badge as aforesaid, and in manner as aforesaid,
it shall and may be lawful for any one of the trustees aforesaid, to punish
every such offender to be whipt not exceeding ten lashes, and kept to
hard labour for any number of days not exceeding twenty, 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 support any such person 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, he shall
forfeit and pay the sum of five pounds current money. |
Penalty on
keeping
booth, &c. |
XVIII. And be
it 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 and 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, or purchase any
master
or thing whatsoever from any poor or other person entertained in the said
alms and work-house, shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay the
sum of ten pounds current money. |
Sheriffs, &c.
to aid trustees,
&c. |
XIX. And be
it enacted, That all sheriffs, constables, and all other
officers and ministers of justice, shall be aiding and assisting to the
said
trustees for the poor in the said counties, and to all such officers as
shall
be employed by them, as by this act is directed, n the execution and
performance of the said service. |
PErsons sued
may plead the
general issue,
&c. |
XX. And be it
enacted, That if any person or persons shall at any time
or times be sued or prosecuted for any matter or thing by him or them
done and executed, in pursuance and execution of this act, or of any
matter
or thing in this act contained, such person or persons shall and may plead
the general issue, and give this act and the special matter in evidence
for his
or their defence, and if upon trial a verdict shall pass for the defendant
or
defendants, or if the plaintiff or plaintiffs shall become nonsuit, or
discontinue
his or their suit, then such defendant or defendants shall have and
recover treble costs to him or them awarded against such plaintiff or
plaintiffs, and if the plaintiff or plaintiffs is or are unable to satisfy
the
same, then it shall be paid and satisfied by the attorney who brought such
suit, unless the plaintiff or plaintiffs shall give security for the costs
to be
approved by the court in which said suit is brought. |
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