472 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [382] 



all of one kind, and that all caske so packt, be fall, and sound and well 

 seasoned setting his seale on all caske so packt, for which he shall 

 receive of the owners, for so j^acking and sealing, fower shillings p 

 tunne ; but if the gager do only veiw them, and find them good and 

 sufficjent, he shall set his seale vppon them, and have one shilling p 

 tunne for so doing; and if such goods so packt shall be put to sale 

 packt vp in caske without the gagers marke, he shall forfeite the said 

 goods so put to sale, one-half to the informer, the other to the countje 

 treasury, and whereas notw^^'^standiug the former law provided, tit. 

 caske and coopers, page the sixth, much damage is still sustained by 

 marchants and men of trade, through insufflciencie and vendue assize 

 of caske, itt is therefore further ordered by the authorytie of this 

 courte, that wheresoever any new caske are found put to sale being de- 

 fective either in workmanship, timber, or assize, as in that law is pro- 

 vided vppon due proole made before any one magistrate, the said caske 

 shall be forfeited to the informer, and the workmen for his default shall 

 pay tenn shillings a tunn forthwith, to the use of the countye and so 

 proportionable to any greater or lesser caske; andbecawse there may be 

 no neglect in the choice of a gager to prevent the abuses in this or any 

 other lawe exprest, itt is further ordered by the authorytie aforesajd, 

 the every touue within this jurisdiccon wherein any caske are made shall 

 yeerely make choice of one fitt man for that worke and iraploiment, 

 who, being presented by the constable within one weeke after the 

 choice made, before any one magistrate, shall take the oath belonging 

 to his place, which if he shall refuse, he shall pay the some of forty 

 shillings, and another to be chosen in his roome; as also the toune or 

 constable shall either of them suffer the like poenaltie for the neglect 

 of this order, any other lawe, custome or order to the contrary notwith- 

 standing. — (Eecords of Massachusetts, Vol. IV, Part I, p. 39.) 



In 1652 another law was passed as follows : 



Att the second Sessions of the Generall Court, held at Boston, the 

 19th of Oct. 1652. 



Vppon sundry information of sundry abuses which may arise, and 

 thereby reproach redound to the countrje, by packing of beife, porke 

 in caske that is not full gage, although the packer doe carefully till the 

 same, as the lawe provides, it is therefore ordered by this Courte: that 

 henceforth every packer shall see that all caske he packs any beife, 

 pork mackerill, fish or any other goods in comitted to his care, be of 

 true and full asize and gage, and that he packes the same in no other 

 caske whatsoever on j)enaltie of tenn shillings for every caske by him 

 packed that is or shall be defective in that respect, one halfe to the in- 

 former, and the other half to the countrie. This order to be the next 

 day published, and posted vp in Boston and Charles Toune, and, by 

 the first opportunitie, in Salem and Ipswich. 



The oath for packers of beife &c — 



Whereas, you AB, are chosen a jiacker of beife porke and other 



