Preamble.

Governor to appoint Persons to

&o

ACTS OF MARYLAND.

[Printed from "Laws of Maryland, made and passed at a Session of Assembly," etc., printed by Frederick Green, Annapolis.]

SESSION BEGINNING FEBRUARY 5, 1777.

CHAP. XIV.

An ACT for quartering Soldiers.

WHEREAS it is established by the Declaration of Rights, that no Soldier ought to be quartered in any House in Time of Peace, without the Consent of the Owner, and in Time of War in such Manner only as the Legislature shall direct; and whereas it is necessary, during the present War with Great-Britain, to provide proper and convenient Quarters in several Parts of this State, for the Troops of this and the United States, or any of them:

II. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland, quarter Troops, That it shall and may be lawful for such Person or Persons, as the Governor of this State for the Time being shall appoint, to provide Quarters in any City, Town, or Place (on convenient Notice, by the commanding Officer of any Regiment, Detachment, Troop, or Company, in the Service of the United States, or any of them, of the Number and the Time such Officer shall require to be quartered in such City, Town, or Place) to hire fit and convenient Houses for the Reception of such Forces and their Baggage, and sick and wounded; and if sufficient Houses cannot be procured on Hire at a reasonable Price, it shall be lawful for such Person or Persons, appointed as aforesaid, to enter and quarter the Residue of the Officers, Soldiers, or Troopers, in any empty or unoccupied House or Houses, in such City, Town, or Place; and if sufficient Quarters cannot thus be obtained, it shall be lawful for such Person or Persons, appointed as aforesaid, to quarter and billet the remaining Officers, Soldiers, or Troopers, in the Taverns or public Houses in such City, Town, or Place, in Proportion to their Number, and their Ability and Convenience; and in case further Quarters shall still be wanting, it shall be lawful for such Person or Persons, appointed as aforesaid, to enter, quarter, and billet, the remaining Officers, Soldiers, or Troopers, in the House or Houses of any Person or Persons, in such City, Town, or Place, who shall not have subscribed the Association at the Time of such billetting, or who shall hereafter be adjudged Enemies or disaffected

Persons by any legal Authority of this State, in Proportion to their Number, Ability, and Convenience; and if any Officers, Soldiers, or Troopers, should still remain unprovided for, it shall and may be lawful for such Person or Persons, appointed as aforesaid, to enter, quarter, and billet, such Officers, Soldiers, and Troopers, in the Houses of the other Inhabitants of such City, Town, or Place, in Proportion to their Number, Ability, and Convenience.

be given to Own

ers of Houses, &c.

III. And be it enacted, That if any House shall be hired Certificates to as aforesaid, the Person or Persons appointed as aforesaid, shall give a Certificate for the Rent to the Owner and his Assigns; and where any empty or unoccupied House shall be taken as aforesaid, a Certificate shall also be given to the Owner and his Assigns for the Sum due for the same, either to be ascertained by Agreement, or by the Valuation of some disinterested Person on Oath, and the said Certificates shall be paid by either of the Treasurers of this State, and if such Expence shall be incurred for Troops belonging to any other State, or to the United States, the same shall be charged to such State, or the United States, as the Case may be.

Any Justice Quarters, &c.

may provide

to Damages comrented, &c.

IV. And be it enacted, That if the Governor shall not appoint any Person in any City, Town or Place, as aforesaid, or such Person shall refuse or neglect to comply with the Directions of this Act, it shall and may be lawful for any Justice of the Peace in or near thereto, if required by any Officer as aforesaid, to provide Quarters for his Troops in the same Manner as above is directed. V. And, To prevent as far as possible any Damage to any House and Premises rented or taken as aforesaid, VI. Be it enacted, That it shall be lawful for any And enquire inJustice of the Peace, if required by the Owner thereof, mitted in Houses to enter into such House, and if on Examination he shall find any Injury committed, he shall cause strict Enquiry to be made after the Person who committed the same, and shall direct the Damage to be valued by some disinterested Person on Oath, and if done by any noncommissioned Officer or Soldier, he shall give Notice of the Damage done, and (if discovered) the Name of the Offender to the commanding Officer in such City, Town or Place, and if done by or with the Permission or Connivance of any commissioned Officer, he shall give Notice thereof to the Commander in Chief, and to the Officer commanding in such City, Town or Place.

farnishing Sol

Allowance for VII. And be it enacted, That where any Officer, Soldiers with Provi- dier or Trooper, shall be quartered and billeted in any

sions, &c.

Troopers to be billeted with their

Tavern or private House agreeable to this Act, and shall not be furnished with the Ration or Rations allowed to such Officer or Soldier, the Owner shall furnish such Officer or Soldier with the Ration or Rations, and the Articles therein expressed, or such of them as he can procure, or with other good and substantial Victuals in Lieu thereof, and he shall be allowed therefor at the Rate of ten Shillings common Money per Week for each non-commissioned Officer and Soldier, and at the Rate of twenty-two Shillings and six-pence common Money per Week for each commissioned Officer, and shall be paid by the Officer commanding the Regiment, Detachment, Troop or Company, and in Case such Officer shall not have Money to satisfy such Demand, he shall give a Certificate to such Person and his Assigns, expressing the Sum due, which Certificate shall be paid by either of the Treasurers of this State; and if such Expence shall be incurred for the Troops of any other State, or of the United States, the same shall be charged to such State, or the United States, as the Case may be.

VIII. And be it enacted, That where any Troop or Horses if possible. Company of Light-Horse shall be quartered and billeted in Pursuance of this Act, each Trooper and his Horse shall be billeted in the same House if possible, nor shall there be less than one Trooper billeted with one or two Horses, nor less than two Men with four Horses, and so in Proportion for a greater Number, and in such Case each Trooper shall be billeted as near his Horse as possible, and where Food and Forage shall not be provided, the same shall be found by the Person on whom such Trooper shall be billeted, and he shall be allowed a reasonable Price therefor, to be ascertained either by Agreement with the commanding Officer, or by any Justice of the Peace, and paid, or Certificate given as aforesaid.

Penalty on Persons quartering

&c., against the

Owner, &c.

IX. And be it enacted, That if any Person by this Act Soldiers' Wives, authorized to quarter Soldiers, shall at any Time quarConsent of the ter any of the Wives, Children, or Servants of any Officer or Soldier in any House against the Consent of the Owner, or shall neglect or refuse, for the Space of two Hours, to quarter or billet such Officers or Soldiers when thereunto required, and having sufficient Notice before the Arrival of such Troops, or shall receive,

demand, contract or agree for, any Money, or any Reward to excuse any Person from quartering or receiving into his House, any Officer, Soldier or Trooper; and if any Person liable by this Act to have any Officer, Soldier or Trooper quartered on him, shall refuse to receive or furnish such Officer, Soldier or Trooper, as aforesaid, such Person, so offending, shall forfeit and pay for every Offence, not more than five Pounds nor less than forty Shillings, to be recovered before any Justice of the Peace, and levied by Warrant to any Constable on the Offenders Persons, Goods or Chattels, one Half to the Informer, and the other Half to the Use of the County where the Offence shall be committed, and where no Informer, the Whole to such County.

SESSION BEGINNING JUNE 16, 1777.

CHAP. XI.

An ACT to punish forestalling and engrossing, and for other purposes. WHEREAS all endeavours to enhance the common price of merchandise, or the necessaries of life, and all practices for that purpose, ought to be restrained as far as possible, and the art and avarice of forestallers and engrossers in this state having been grievous and oppressive to the inhabitants thereof, therefore

Preamble.

goods, &c., com

ing, &c.

II. Be it enacted, by the General Assembly of Maryland, Persons buying That if any person shall buy, or cause to be bought, any ing to market, &c. goods, wares or merchandise, except the articles of grain guilty of forestalland lumber, coming to any market or fair within this state, to be sold in such market or fair, or coming to any city, town, port, harbour, haven or creek, within this state, to be sold, or shall make any bargain, contract or promise, for the having or buying of any goods, wares or merchandise, except as before excepted, or any part thereof, so coming as aforesaid, before the same shall be in the market, fair, city, town, port, harbour, haven or creek, ready there to be sold, or shall dissuade any person coming to this state, or to any market or fair therein, to abstain or forbear to bring any goods, wares or merchandise, to this state, or any part thereof, shall be adjudged a forestaller, and on conviction thereof in the general or any county court, shall be fined by the court not exceeding five hundred pounds, or imprisoned not exceeding one year, or both, in the discretion of the

court.

Proviso.

buy to sell again.

original importer.

III Provided, That buying by any person any goods, wares or merchandise, coming to market, for the use and consumption of himself or family for a year, shall not be deemed forestalling.

Persons not to IV. And be it enacted, That if any person within this except from the state, shall buy to sell again within this state, or in any of the adjoining states, any butter, beef, pork, cotton, wool, flax, woollens, hemp, tallow, raw hides, tanned leather, shoes, or salt, of the produce or growth of, or raised or manufactured in, this state, or if any person within this state, shall obtain or get into his hands by buying, contracting, or promise taking, (other than by demise, grant, or lease of land, or in payment for debt) any goods, wares or merchandise, within this state, except from the original importer, with intent to sell the same again within this state, or in any of the adjoining states, such person shall be adjudged an engrosser, and on conviction thereof in the general or any county court, shall forfeit any of the articles aforesaid so bought or got into his possession, one half to the state, and the other half to the informer, and may be fined not exceeding five hundred pounds, or imprisoned not exceeding one year, or both, in the discretion of the court.

Proviso.

Importer may sell by wholesale or retail.

Penalty on Per

sons buying

again, &c.

V. Provided always, and it is hereby declared, That the buying of any goods, wares or merchandise, by any agent of this or the United States, or the purchasing materials for the carrying on manufactories, and so converted in the house of the purchaser, or the buying of provisions by any licensed ordinary keeper, for the use of his ordinary, shall not be deemed engrossing within this act.

VI. And be it enacted, That the importer or manufacturer of all goods, wares and merchandises, shall be allowed to sell the same by wholesale or retail.

VII. And be it enacted, That no person shall purchase goods, &c. to sell any goods imported into, or manufactured within, this state, to sell, barter, or exchange again, unless he shall purchase the same from the original importer or manufacturer, under the forfeiture of the goods so purchased, one half to the state, and the other half to the informer, and under the penalty of five hundred pounds for each offence; but this restraint shall not extend to licensed ordinary keepers, so as to prohibit them from purchasing liquors, and other necessaries, for the common use of their ordinaries.