EARLY QUARANTINE ARRANGEMENTS OF SALEM. 29 



Be it enacted by the Lieutenant- Governoui\ Council and 

 House of Representatives^ 



[Sect. 1.] That when and as often as there shall be 

 brought into any town within this province, whether it 

 shall be from any other town within the province, or from 

 parts without the province, any baggage, cloathing or 

 goods of any kind soever, and it- shall be made to appear 

 by the selectmen of the town, or major part of them, to 

 which such baggage, cloathing or other goods shall be 

 brought, to the satisfaction of any one of his majesty's 

 justices of the peace, that there is just cause to suspect 

 such ba^irasfe, cloathino: or other sroods to be infected with 

 the plague, small-pox, pestilential fever, or other malig- 

 nant, contagious distemper, it shall and may be lawful 

 for such justice of the peace, and he is hereby required, 

 in such case, by warrant, under his hand and seal, di- 

 rected to the sheriff or his deput3S or any constable of 

 the town in which such baggage, cloathing or other goods 

 shall be, requiring him to impress so many men as said 

 justice shall judge necessary, to secure such baggage, 

 cloathing or other goods to be secured, and said men to 

 set and post as a guard and watch over the house or 

 houses, or other place or places where such baggage, 

 cloathing or other goods shall be lodged ; which guard 

 and w^atch are hereby required to take effectual care to 

 prevent such baggage, cloathing or other goods being re- 

 moved or intermedled with by any persons whatever, 

 until due inquiry be made into the circumstances thereof; 

 and in case it shall appear to the said justice highly pro- 

 bable that such baggage, cloathing or other goods are in- 

 fected with the plague, small-pox, pestilential fever, or 

 other malignant, contagious distemper, said justice is 

 hereby impowred and directed to issue a warrant, under 

 his hand and seal, directed to the sherift' or his deputy. 



