| 1788.
CHAP.
III. |
LAWS of MARYLAND.
owner or owners thereof shall pay the sum of five shillings for every
hog, goat,
or half dozen geese, and a proportionable sum for every goose, so taken
up, one
half for the use of the person or persons taking up and securing the
same, and
the other half for the use of the poor in said county; and in case
the owner or
owners of swine, goats or geese, seized and secured as aforesaid, shall
not, within
three days after notice of such seizure, pay the aforesaid sum of five
shillings for
every hog, goat, or half dozen geese, and in proportion for every goose,
seized
as aforesaid, to the person or persons seizing the same, in such case
the whole of
such seizure shall be absolutely forfeited for the uses aforesaid,
and it shall be
lawful for the person or persons seizing to sell the same by public
vendue at the
market-house in said town, between nine and ten o'clock in the forenoon
of the
market-day next ensuing, and to apply the monies arising from such
sale to the
uses aforesaid. |
Money to be
paid over, &c. |
III. And be
it enacted, That if any person or persons receiving money under
this act, shall not, within ten days after the receipt thereof, pay
over to the trustees
of the poor of Cæcil county one half of the money so received,
such person
or persons shall forfeit the whole of the money so received for the
use of the poor
of said county, which money so forfeited may be recovered by the trustees
aforesaid
in the same manner as other debts due the trustees may be. |
Penalty on
taking swine,
&c. by force,
&c. |
IV. And be it
enacted, That if any person or persons shall, by violence or
force, take swine, goats or geese, or any of them, out of the possession
of any
person or persons seizing and securing the same by virtue of this act,
without first
paying as aforesaid, and shall be thereof convicted either by confession
or verdict,
such person or persons shall be fined in the sum of ten pounds current
money for
every such offence. |
Defendant
may plead,
&c. |
V. And be it
enacted, That if any person or persons shall be sued or impleaded
for any thing done by virtue of this act, the defendant may plead the
general
issue, and give this act and the special matter in evidence, and if
the plaintiff
shall be nonsuit, or discontinue his suit, he shall pay treble costs,
and such damages
as the court shall adjudge. |
Passed December
22. |
CHAP. IV.
An ACT to encourage the destroying of wolves. |
| Preamble. |
WHEREAS it appears to this general assembly, that
wolves are very
numerous and mischievous in many of the counties in this state, and
that they destroy great numbers of sheep: |
Justices to
give a certificate,
&c. |
II. Be it enacted,
by the General Assembly of Maryland, That when and as
often as any credible free person or persons shall bring before any
justice of the
peace, within any of the counties of this state, the head or heads of any
wolf
or wolves, and make oath (or affirmation) that the wolf or wolves of
which he
or they produce the head or heads, were actually caught and killed within
the
limits of that county in which he or they pray an allowance, and within
six days
next before the producing the same to such justice, that then such justice
shall,
and he is hereby authorised and directed to give such person or persons
producing,
a certificate for such head or heads produced and proved as aforesaid,
and in such
certificate to mention the oath (or affirmation) taken, and therein distinguishing
which or how many of the heads of the old or young wolves; and every justice
who shall have any wolf's head or heads brought before him by any person
or
persons as aforesaid, shall be and he is hereby authorised and empowered
to judge
of the age of the said wolf or wolves, of which the head or heads was brought
before him, and if such justice shall believe the age of such wolf or wolves
to
exceed six months, that then he shall distinguish the same in his certificate
by
the words old wolf or wolves; and that every justice, before whom any wolf's
head is brought, and by whom a certificate shall be given as aforesaid,
is hereby
authorised and directed immediately to cause the ears to be cut off, and
the
tongue taken out, of and from the head or heads of such wolf or wolves, |
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