Whereas many Inconveniences may arise for want of Security being given by persons holding Offices in this Government for the faithful discharge of their Offices:
Be it Enacted by His Excellency the Pallatine and the Rest of the True and Absolute Lords Proprietors of Carolina by and with the advice and consent of this present General Assembly now met at Little River for the North East part of said province and the authority of the same:
It is Hereby Enacted that no person or persons other than such as are commissionated by the True and Absolute Lords Proprietors of Carolina shall execute all or any the offices of Proffit or Trust within this Government till he has given Bond with sufficient security within this Government for the faithful discharge of his Office which shall be taken payable to the Lords Proprietors, their Heires, Successors or Assignes, and shall be entered upon record in the Council book, and the original lodged in the Secretary's Office for the time being.
And Be it Further Enacted by the authority aforesaid, that whosoever shall after the Ratification of this Act execute any office or place of Proffit or Trust within this Government contrary to the true Intent and meaning of this Act or without having first taken and subscribed the several Oaths which by the Laws and Statutes of the Kingdom of Great
Britain are and ought to be taken by all persons qualifying themselves for Posts of Profitt and Trust within the said Kingdome shall forfeit and pay Twenty pounds current money of this Province for each month he shall so execute the same, to be recovered by bill, Plaint, or Information, in any Court of Record within this Government, one halfe to the Informer and the other halfe to the Vestry for the use of the Precinct or Parish where such default shall happen to be wherein no Essoign, Protection, Injunction or Wager of Law, shall be allowed or admitted of.Provided alwayes that this Act shall not be construed, adjudged and taken to debar and hinder any Officer or Officers lawfully possessed of his Office and otherwise qualified so to do from constituting one or more Deputies as the nature of the Office may require; Anything herein before to the contrary notwithstanding.
Speaker.