64 LAWS EELATING TO 



mill, forge or other water-works on said rivers or streams, without 

 being considered as trespassers ; and anj' person who shall molest or 

 hinder the said committee, or either of them, in the execution of the 

 business of his or their office, or shall obstruct any passage-way in the 

 said rivers and streams, otherwa^'s than may be allowed b}' the said 

 committee, or a major part of them, he or the}' so offending shall for- 

 feit and pa}', for ever}' such offence, a sum not exceeding ten dollars 

 nor less than one dollar, at the discretion of the justice before whom 

 the same shall be tried : provided, nevertheless, that nothing in this 

 act shall be considered as authorizing said committee to injure the 

 proprietor of any mill or water-works, further than is necessary in 

 order to give the fish a good and sufficient passage up said rivers. 



Sect. 5. Be it further enacted. That it shall be the duty of the 

 said committee to prosecute all breaches of this act, and for any two 

 of them to seize and detain in their custody any net which may be 

 found in the hands of any person using the same contrary to the true 

 intent and meaning of this act, until the person so oflfendiug makes 

 satisfaction for his offence, or is legally acquitted thei'efrom. And 

 that each and every person who shall be chosen on the committee, 

 pursuant to this act, shall, within six days after his being notified by 

 a constable of such choice, take the following oath before some justice 

 of the peace for the county of Plymouth, or the clerk of said town 

 of Bridgewater, who is hereby authorized to administer the same, 

 viz. : — 



You, A. B., being chosen one of the committee to inspect the ale- 

 wive fishery in the town of Bridgewater, for the year ensuing, do sol- 

 emnly swear that you will faithfully discharge the duties of said office, 

 and duly prosecute all breaches of the law respectiug said fishery that 

 shall come to your knowledge. So help you GOD. 



And that if any person chosen one of the said committee, and noti- 

 fied as aforesaid, shall neglect to take the foregoing oath for the space 

 of six days after his being so notified, he shall forfeit and pay the sum 

 of five dollars, to be recovered by action of debt in any court proper 

 to try the same ; one moiety thereof to be applied to the use of the 

 said town of Bridgewater, the other moiety to the person or persons 

 who shall sue for the same. 



Sect. 6. Be it further enacted. That all the penalties incurred by 

 any breach of this act, shall be recovered by complaint, before any 

 justice of the peace within and for the county of Plymouth aforesaid, 

 allowing an appeal to the court of general sessions of the peace for 

 said county ; and all sums of money recovered to the town as forfeited 

 by this act, shall be for the support of the poor of the town of Bridge- 

 water aforesaid. And no person, by reason of his being one of the 

 said committee or an inhabitant of the said town, shall thereby be 



