428 Assembly Proceedings, July 1-10, 1696.

Lib. L. L. 2

And be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid by & with the
Advice and Consent aforesaid That in every parish where any
minister is Instituted and inducted as afores^d such Minister
shall be Principall Vestryman of the Vestry of such Parish And
be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid by and with the

p. 129

Advice and Consent aforesaid That the Vestrymen of each
respective parish within this province shall Choose their
Register who shall be sworne to keep a true Register of all
theire Proceedings from time to time when they meet which
shall be as often as theire Occasions for the purpose aforesaid
require and notice given them of the time and place of meet-
ing by the Principall Vestryman and if any upon such notice
given shall not appear or shew Lawfull Cause for his Absence
he shall forfeitt the sume of one hundred pounds of Tobbacco
to be leavied by way of Execution upon his or their Goods &
Chattells to the uses hereafter mentioned (the minister always
Excepted) and the Minister of each respective Parish in this
Province shall have Liberty to Elect the Parish Clerk and shall
pay him one Thousand pounds of Tobbacco per Annum out
of the fourty pounds of Tobbacco "p poll And be it Enacted
by the Authority aforesaid by and with the advice and Consent
afores^d That the severall Vestrymen aforesaid within Twelve
months after the publication of this Law shall provide att the
Charge of the parish fair Register Book of paper or Parch-
ment the which the said Register shall keep and therein shall
Register and fairly Enter in Writeing the publication of all
Marriages Births of Children Baptizms and burialls of all Sorts
of persons within the Parish (negros and Mulattos Excepted)
and the Christian and Sir names of every of them and the days
of the months and year of their publication of Marriages Births
Baptizms and burialls and of the Parents Guardians Overseers,
Masters and Mistreses (for Entring any one of which the said
Register shall have as a ffee the sume of Eight pounds of
Tobacco) and shall shew the same to all persons reasonably

p. 130

desireing to see the same or take a Copy or procure a Certifi-
cate thereof and shall have for searching Eight pounds of
Tobbacco and for giveing a Certificate thereof Eight pounds
of Tobbacco for his ffee to be leavyed by way of Execucon
upon the persons or Estates of such as shall delay or refuse
payment of the same And if the Vestrymen aforesaid shall
faile in provideing such a Book as afores^d within the time afore-
said they shall forfeitt the Sume of five hundred p^ds of Tobbacco
each Vestryman (the Minister Excepted) to be Imployed towards
the bringing up and Educating of poor Orphans within their
Severall parishes and to be recovered in the Severall and
respective County Courts within this Province by Action of
Debt Bill plaint or Information wherein no Essoyn Protection