274 Assembly Proceedings, March — April 1671.

Liber
W H&L

good people of this Prouince Bee itt Enacted by the Right
Hon^ble the Lord Proprietary by and with the Assent of this
present Generall Assembly that what person or persons soever
shall forge or divulge any fake Reports (Tending to the
trouble of the Prouince) hee or they shall be by the next Justice of
Peace sent for and bound over to the next County Court or the
Prouinciall Court (where if the thing Related be materiall And
that he produce not his author) he shall be fined two thousand
pounds of Tobacco (or lesse if the Court shall thinke fitt to
Lessen itt) And besides give bond with Security for his Be-
hauiour (if itt appears to the Court that he did Maliciously
publish or invent the same the one halfe to the Lord Proprie-
tary and the other halfe to him or them that shall inform e of
the same To be Recovered in any Court of Record within this
Prouince And further if any such Idle and Buss-headed person
shall forge or Maliciously Publish or invent any falce Reports
or tales of any of his Lordships Justices of the Prouinciall Court
(shall by the Justice of peace to whom such Complaint be made
be bound over to the next Provinciall Court Butt if the offence
be Comitted against any of the Justices of any of the County
Courts That then such person be bound over to the County
Court where the same offence was Comitted in the severall
and Respective Counties) to be fined or to Receive such Cor-
porall punishment (not Extending to life or member) as to the
Justices of that Court shall seeme meete This Act to Endure
for three yeares or to the end of the next Generall Assembly.

An Act for the makeing voyd and Punishing
of all fraudulent Practices tending to
the defrauding of Reall Purchasers
and Creditors

For as much as nothing is more destructive to trade or more
pernicious to humane Society then the wicked and deceitfull
practice in these dayes too much vsed for the defrauding the
Lord and Proprietary his heeres and successors Lords and Pro-

p. 52

prietaryes of this Province of his and their Just Rights Pur-
chasers of their lust titles and Estates by them truely and
Really Purchased for Reall and valueable Consideracons and
Creditors of their lust and Reall Securities and debts by Secrett
fraudulent feigned voluntary and Covinous grants Alienacons
and Conveyances of lands and hereditaments as alsoe by
feigned Covinous and fraudulent bills bonds accons suites
debts Judgments Extents Seizures and Execucons all which
haue been and are accustomed to be devised Sett on foote and
Continued and made vse of for the Ends before mentioned for
the preventing and avoyding whereof Bee itt Enacted by his