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ACTS.
Maryland ss.
Att a session of Assembly begun and held at the City of
Annapolis In the County of Ann Arundell the Twenty ninth
Day of November in the Seaventh year of the Reigne of Our
Sovereigne Lady Queen Anne of Great Brittain ffrance and
Ireland and the Dominions and Territorys thereto belonging
Defender of the ffaith &c Annoque Dni One thousand seaven
hundred and Eight his Excellency John Seymour Esqr being
Governor.
Were Enacted the Laws following
An Act for reliefe of Poor Debtors and languishing Prisoners.
Whereas it is Represented to this present Generall Assem-
bly that dureing this warr the low price for tobacco the only
Staple Comodity of this province and the many losses they
have had at Sea have run many honest well meaning persons
inhabitants of this province farther in Debt than they are able
to pay thereby oblidging many of them to leave their habitations
and fly out of this Province unto other Colonys for their
Liberty and others actually to be imprisoned for Debt or Dam-
ages to the Great Charge of the Country and lessening her
Sacred Majestys Revenue which this Present Generall
Assembly considering do pray that it may be Enacted
And be it Enacted by the Queens most Excellent Majty by
and with the advice and Consent of her Majtys Governour
Councill and Assembly of this province and the authority of
the same that the severall and respective Justices of Oyer and
Terminer in the severall County Courts of this province shall
be and by this act are impowered authorized and appointed to
Call and Cause to Come before them or any three of them
whereof one to be of the Quorum any Debtor or Debtors who
on the first day of January now next Comeing shall be actually
in prison or Custody of any Sherriffe or Goaler within this
province for any Debt or Damage or upon any attachment or
Execution or any other process Issued or Issueing out of any
the Courts of this province who have not wherewith to main-
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