he will not brand, or cause to be branded, any cask or casks of flour, that do not appear, to the best of his skill and knowledge, to be in all respects sufficiently clean; sweet, and merchantable; and that he will pass and brand all such cask or casks of flour as shall appear to him sufficiently clean, sweet, and merchantable, according to the degree thereof, to the best of his skill and knowledge, and according to the directions of this act; and that he will not, wittingly or willingly, charge, ask, take, receive, exact, or demand, any other or larger fees or rates, for doing his duty in his office as inspector of flour, than is mentioned and directed by this act; and that he will carefully and diligently view and examine all casks in which such flour shall be brought and contained; and that he will not pass or brand any cask or casks of flour, unless such cask or casks be of such size, goodness, and thickness, as by this act is required.

flour, &c.

Penalty on persons altering the

XVII. And be it enacted, That no inspector of flour Not to purchase shall purchase, directly or indirectly, any flour by him condemned as aforesaid, or any flour whatsoever, other than for his own family use, under the penalty of forty shillings current money for each barrel by him purchased. XVIII. And be it enacted, That if any person shall alter the mark stamped on any barrel of flour by any inspector, marks, &c. or shall mark or brand any barrel of flour which hath not been inspected, with any mark or brand similar to, or in imitation of, the inspector's said mark or brand, or after the said inspector shall have passed any barrel of flour as merchantable, shall pack into the cask which contains the same, any other flour, or after any barrel of flour shall be branded with a broad arrow, shall unpack and repack the same into other casks or packages, for exportation out of this state, such person shall forfeit and pay the sum of forty shillings current money for every barrel. XIX. And be it enacted, That the said commissioners, may remove inor the major part of them, shall be and are hereby empowered, at any time, to displace or remove the said officer from his office, if the said commissioners or the major part of them shall see cause, and shall and may nominate and appoint another fit person to such office during the residue of the year, who shall have power to execute the same office according to the directions of this act, on his taking the said oath of office.

XX. And, Whereas great quantities of flour are brought by water to the said town of Baltimore, and it being very inconvenient to land the same for inspection:

Commissioners

spector, &c.

Inspector to go on board vessels, &c.

May appoint assistants, &c.

Officers to take the oaths, &c.

Penalties, how to be recovered, &c.

Part of an act continued, &c.

XXI. Be it enacted, That the inspector of flour appointed by this act shall, and is hereby directed, at the request of any person who shall bring above fifty casks in any one vessel, to go on board such vessel in the harbour of the said town, and inspect the said flour on board, under the penalty of twenty shillings current money for every neglect or refusal.

XXII. And, Whereas it may sometimes happen, that by reason of a great quantity of flour being brought at once to Baltimore-town, the person who shall be appointed inspector of flour cannot alone, with sufficient dispatch, inspect and brand all such flour, and as it is apprehended that the most likely means to support the credit of the inspection brand is to make one inspector answerable,

XXIII. Be it enacted, That the person to be by the commissioners, or the governor and council, as aforesaid, chosen and appointed inspector of flour, shall or may, on such occasions only, or in case of sickness, employ one or more persons of good repute, and well qualified for such service, as assistants to assist him in the execution of his said office; and such assistants, after taking the oath or affirmation herein prescribed to be taken by the inspector of flour, are hereby authorised to inspect, and brand any barrels of flour at Baltimore-town, as the inspector himself might do.

XXIV. And be it enacted, That before any of the said officers shall enter upon the execution of their respective offices, they shall take the several oaths to government appointed b law.

XXV. And be it enacted, That all and every the penalties and forfeitures in and by this act set and appointed, shall be recovered before a single magistrate, as in case of small debts, in the name of the commissioners of the town, and be by them laid out and expended in mending the public wharfs and streets in the said town.

XXVI. And be it enacted, That so much of the act, entitled, An act to prevent the exportation of flour, staves and shingles, not merchantable, from the town of Baltimore, in Baltimore county, and to regulate the weight of hay, and the measure of grain, salt, flax-seed, and fire-wood, within the said town, and to prevent the exportation of flour not merchantable from Fell's-point in the said county, made and passed at a session of assembly, begun and held at the city of Annapolis on Wednes

day the second day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-one, as respects the exportation of flour, be and remain in full force until the first day of August next, and that from and after that day, that part of the said act be and the same is hereby repealed.

XXVII. This act to continue and be in force for and Continuance. during the term of six years, and until the end of the next session of assembly which shall happen thereafter.

CHAP. XVIII.

An ACT to repeal all the acts of assembly heretofore made relative to the seizure of provisions or merchandise.

WHEREAS the seizure of provisions within this Preamble. state hath heretofore been adopted upon the principle of necessity only, to procure an immediate supply for the use of the army, and the several acts passed for supply payable in specific articles making it unnecessary to continue such acts any longer:

&c.

II. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland, Acts repealed. That all the acts of assembly heretofore made, empowering the governor and council, or any other person or persons, to seize provisions or merchandise of any kind, shall be and are hereby repcaled, abrogated, and made null and void.

SESSION BEGINNING APRIL 25, 1782.

CHAP. V.

An ACT to prevent the exportation of bread and flour not merchantable from George-town in Montgomery county, and for other purposes.

George-town, &c.

Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland, Act to apply to That the act to prevent the exportation of bread and flour not merchantable, and for other purposes, made and passed at a session of assembly, begun and held at the city of Annapolis, on Monday the fifth of November, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one, have full force and operation, and apply in the same degree and manner, to George-town in Montgomery county, as if made for said town, after the first day of August ensuing.

II. And, Whereas there is a difference between the size of the Pennsylvania and Virginia flour casks, and the flour casks established by the aforesaid act, by which 37639°-18-27

Pennsylvania

ported, &c.

means the exportation of Pennsylvania and Virginia made flour from this state is prevented: Therefore, Be it enacted, That it shall and may be lawful to export and Virginia Pennsylvania and Virginia flour, packed in Pennsylvania Dort may be ex- and Virginia casks, of a size and make conformable to the regulations of the laws of the said states, from the ports of Baltimore and George-town aforesaid, provided that the flour is merchantable agreeable to the regulations of this state, any law to the contrary notwithstanding.

Continuance.

Preamble.

III. THIS act to continue and be in force for and during the term of the act to prevent the exportation of bread and flour not merchantable, and for other purposes.

ACTS AND LAWS OF MASSACHUSETTS.

[Printed from "Acts and Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," printed by Benjamin Edes and Sons, Printers to His Excellency the Governor, the Council and Senate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.]

[1776, p. 73.]

CHAP. X.

An Act to prohibit the Exportation of Lumber for a limitted Time

WHEREAS many and great Inconveniences may, at this critical Time arise to this and the other United States of America, if a speedy and effectual Prohibition of the Exportation of Lumber and other Materials for building from each and every Port, Harbour or Place within the Limits of this State is not immediately effected:

Be it therefore enacted by the Council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the Species of Lum- Authority of the same, That no Person or Persons whatsober prohibited. ever, shall take or load on board any Ship or Vessel within this State, any Oak or Pine Timber, Plank, Boards, Joists, Clapboards or Shingles, or other Wooden Materials suitable for Building, with Intent to convey the same out of this State, or to transport the same by Water from any Port or Harbour in this State, to any other Port or Harbour therein, excepting all such Lumber as shall be transporting from Place to Place for the sole Use and by the Order of this or any other of the United States of America, or any Person employed by them for that Purpose: And that no Ship or Vessel already loaded with any such Lumber as aforesaid, in any Port or Harbour within this State, shall be permitted to depart with any such Lumber on

board, from any such Port or Harbour, to any other Port or Harbour within this State, or to any Port, Harbour or Place without this State: And every such Ship or Vessel Forfeiture. which shall load as aforesaid, or being loaded as aforesaid, shall Sail or Depart, or attempt to Sail or Depart from any Port, Harbour or Place within this State, shall, together, with her Cargo, Tackle, Apparel, and Furniture be Forfeited, and disposed of as in this Act is herein after provided.

seized by armed

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be Lawful for any armed Ship or Vessel, commissioned by tle American Congress, or by any of the United States of America, to surprise, take, seize and Vessels may be bring into any Port or Place within this State, any Ship Vessels. or Vessel which shall have sailed from any Place within this State, in Violation of this Act, Wholly or in Part laden with Lumber as aforesaid, and be found on the high Seas. And the several Maritime Courts already erected within this State, are hereby Authorized to try the Justice of such Captures in like Manner and Form as other Ships or Vessels are triable in the same Courts; and in Case of Confiscation, to Order Distribution thereof; How one Moiety thereof to the Captors, and the other Moiety to and for the Use of this State.

distrib

And be it farther enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That any Owner or Freighter of any Ship or Vessel that shall, in Violation of this Act, Sail and Depart from any Port or Harbour within this State, in Part or Wholly laden with Lumber as aforesaid, and the same Ship or Vessel shall not be taken or seized in Consequence of this Act, every such Owner or Freighter shall forfeit and pay the Sum of Three Hundred Pounds, to be recovered in the Penalty Inferior Court in the County from whence the said Vessel Freighters offendsailed, and applied as hereafter by this Act is directed. Provided always, that no Action shall be sustained in any Court of Record within this State, unless the same were commenced within twelve Months after the Offence committed.

Owners

ing.

on

or

powered to see this Act executed.

Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Committees imCommittees of Correspondence, Inspection and Safety of the several Towns and Plantations within this State, are hereby authorized, directed and impowered to see that this Act is duly observed and kept within their respective Precincts, and prosecute to effect all Violations of the same, and to recover the Penalties thereto annexed, in