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Upper and lower houses of Assembly and the Authority of the same
That every Inhabitant of this Province that hereafter shall buy any
Convict Servant shall be & is by this Act Obliged wthin Twenty
Days after the Publication hereof or purchase of such Convict
Servant to give and Enter into Recognizance in the Sum of
Thirty Pounds Current money of Maryland before some Justice of
the Provl or County Court for the good Behaviour of such Convict
Servant for the space of One whole year from the Date of such
Recognizance which Recognizances are to be renewed yearly and
Every year during the Time of the Servitude of such Convict Servant
And to be returned by the Severall Magistrates takeing the same to
the County Clerks respectively where the Persons recognizing reside
to be by him Entred upon Record.
And Be it Enacted by the Authority Advice and Consent aforesaid
that any Person that shall hereafter buy any Convict Servant that
shall neglect or refuse to give a Recognizance According to the
Directions of this Act by the Space of Twenty Days after the publi-
cation thereof or Purchase of such Convict Servant and renew the
Same Recognizance yearly as aforesaid shall forfeit the Quantity of
four Thousand Pounds of Tobacco One half to the Lord Proprietor
for and towards Defraying the Publick Charge of this Province the
Other half to the Informer or him that will Sue for the Same to be
recovered by Action of Debt Bill Plaint or Information wherein no
Essoyn Protection or Wager of Law shall be Allowed And to the
End that it may be known when & to whom any Convict Servants are
Sold.
Be it Enacted that Every Person haveing the sale of Any such
Convict Servant within this Province shall be and is hereby Obliged
to make Oath or Affirmation if a Quaker before one Justies of the
Provinciall or County Court within Six Days after such Sale of the
time of the Sale of such Convict Servant And to whom Sold Which
Deposition or Affirmation shall be by such Magistrate Transmitted
to the Clerk of the County who is hereby Obliged to Enter the same
on Record wthout fee or reward and that an Exemplification of such
Deposition or Affirmation shall be received as Evidence to prove
the fact therein Contained And that the person selling such Convicts
and neglecting to Do what is by this Act required shall forfeit Twenty
thousand pounds of Tobacco to the use aforesaid to be recovered as
aforesaid, and for the better Discovery of Convict Servants Be it
Enacted that Every Master of a Ship or Other Vessell that shall
hereafter Import any Servants into this Province shall be Obliged
at the Time of the Entry of his ship or other Vessell as aforesaid
to Declare upon Oath or Affirmation (if a Quaker) which the Navall
Officer of the Port is by this Act Impowered to Administer, whether
he knows of any Convicts among the Servants by him Imported and
to give a List of their names to the Navall Officer to be by him Trans-
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Liber LL, 4
Acts
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