Acts. 21

lyable to satisfye the damage so susteyned by servitude or otherwise
as the Court before whome such matter is brought shall think con-
venient. Provided that where the Mother of any such Childe as
aforesaid shall be able to prove her charge by sufficient Testimony of
Witnesses Confession of the Party charged, or pregnant Circum-
stances agreeing with her declaracon in her Extremity of her Pains
or Throes of Travell and her Oath taken by some Magistrate before
the tyme of her delivery of every such Bastard Child or after her
delivery then the Party charged if a Servant to satisfye halfe the
damage, if a Freeman then the whole damage by Servitude or other-
wise as the Court before whom such matter is brought as aforesaid
shall think fitt. And if any such Mother as aforesaid be able to prove
by such testimony or Confession of the Party charged that he being
a single person and a Freeman did before the begetting of such Childe
promise her marriage that then he shall be at his choice either to
performe his promise to her, or recompence her Abuse according as
the Court before whom such matter is brought shall adjudge. And
be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that a former Act
of this Province Entituled an Act concerning those Servants that
have Bastards made att a General Assembly begunn & held att the
city of St. Mary's the Tenth day of May One Thousand six hundred
and Nynety two is hereby repealed and voyde.

Public
Record
Office,
London.
C. O. 5,
Vol. 731.
Maryland.
From
1694-1702.
Acts

An Act against Strikeing of Fish in Dorchester & Somersett
Countyes.

Whereas the Strikeing of Fish hath been and still is a Grievance of
the Inhabitants of Somersett & Dorchester Countyes by reason that
Severall persons that inhabite in Virginia and other distant places
doe yearly come up within the precincts of the said Countyes and
there doe strike or cause to be struck great Quantityes of Fish and by
wounding hurting and maiming of Fish cause Sharks and other
voracious Fish to haunt the Coasts to the Spoyling of the Rivers
and destruccon of the Fry of Fish for prevention whereof Wee pray
it may be Enacted and be it Enacted by the King & Queens most
Excellent Ma^tys by and with the Advice and Consent of this present
Gen^rall Assembly and the Authority of the same That from and after
the Publicacon of this Act noe person or persons whatsoever either
Inhabitant of this Province or Virginia shall strike or cause to be
struck either by himself or any hired Indian any Fish within any of
the Rivers Creeks or Harboures or about any of the Islands belonging
to the said Countyes of Somersett or Dorchester under the Penalty
of Five Thousand pounds of Tobaccoe the one halfe to our Sov-
eraigne Lord and Lady the King & Queen for support of this Govern-
ment and the other halfe to the party that shall sue for the same to be
recovered in any Court of Record in this Province wherein no
Essoyne Proteccon or Wager of Law to be allowed.

Acts of 1694,
ch. 26
(Repealed
by 1696,
ch. 15)