Preambles Peace may take cognizance of suits aud causes arising in the counties.in which ties of Quebec, CA P. X. An Act to facilitate the recovery of Small Debts in certain parts of this WHEREAS PE (24th April, 1819.) HEREAS an easy and expeditious method for the recovery of mall Debts of the nature herein-after fpecified, within the Townships and Seigniories of this Province, would be of great advantage to the Inhabitants refiding within the fame; Be it therefore enacted by the King's Moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the advice and confent of the Legislative Council and Affembly of the Province of Lower Canada, conftituted and affembled by virtue of and under the authority of an Act paffed in the Parliament of Great Britain, intituled, "An Act to repeal "certain parts of an A&t, pafled in the fourteenth year of His Majefty's Reign, "intituled, “An Act for making more effectual provifion for the Government of the "Province of Quebec, in North America," and to make fusther provifion for the "Government of the faid Province;" and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the fame, that from and after the paffing of this Act, it shall and may be lawful to Justices of the and for His Majefty's Juftices of the Peace to take cognizance of fuch causes and fuits as are herein-after specified, arifing in the County in which fach Juftice or Juftices of the Peace may refide,(the Counties of Quebec, Montreal, and Saint Maurice,exthey reside, coun- cepted) and for that purpose it fhall and may alto be lawful to and for fuch Jus Montreal, and tice or Juftices of the Peace, upon requeft or application to them or any of them cept d, as speci- made, to grant and iffue or caufe to be granted and iffued, a fummons or fummonses, to one or more perfon or perfons, as the cafe may require (which fnmmons fhall be in the form herein-after mentioned) and fhall not be returnable in less than two days, in cafes where the defendant or defendants fhall refide within two leagues diftance from the refidence of the Justice of the Peace before whom he or they may be fummoned, allowing one day more between the fervice and return of every fuch fummons, for every five leagues diftance over and above the faid two leagues at which the defendant or defendants may refide from the refidence of fuch Juftice or Juftices of the Peace; and to hear, try, and determine in a fummary manner, agreeable to Law, and the Evidence before them, all caufes and complaints which shall be brought before him or them, and arifing within the County in which fuch Juftice or Juftices of the Peace may refide, concerning the recovery of debts, not exceeding in amount the fum of four pounds three fhillngs and fourpence, current money of this Province, of the following nature, that is to lay for goods fold and delivered, work and labour done, money lent and ad vanced, money paid, laid out or expended to or for the ule of any perfon or perfons, and for houfe rent, or on acknowledgments, commonly called or known on Three-Rivers ex fed by this Act. How process to issue. der CA P. X. Afte pour faciliter le recouvrement de Petites Dettes dans certaines parties de cette Province. (84me. Avril, 1819.) Préambule. Les Juges de Paix pourront prendre connoisdans les Comtés siden, Comtés de Qué sance certaines affaires où Vu qu'un moyen facile et prompt pour le recouvrement des Petites Dettes de la na. T & de bec. Montréal et des Trois-Riviè res) tel que spé clé dans l'Acte. Comment les sommations sòr Duty ofthe Jus. tice of the Peace. der the defcription of Bons, or on fuch note or notes of hand (only) in which the party or parties to whom such note or notes fhall have been made payable, shall fue the maker or makers of the fame, but not in cafes in which any party or parties fo fuing hall claim as Indorfee, or other wife than as aforesaid. II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, that in cafes where either of the parties, Plaintiff or Defendant, in any fuit or suits to be inftituted under this A&t, may require the benefit of a decifion by Arbitrators on the fubject in difpute, it fhall be the duty of the Juftice of the Peace before whom the fame shall have been inftituted, to prefent to the parties a Lift of nine d'finterested perfons who fhall be in no wife related to the parties within the degree as by Law prohibited for Arbitrators, (which Lift fhall be taken from a general Table to be kept by the faid Juftices of the Peace, containing the names of all Freeholders, being of age, living within two leagues diftance from the refidence of the faid Justice of the Peace before whom the complaint fhall be carried, (which Lift of nine persons shall be taken in rotation in order that the fame perfons be not chofen a fecond time until their turn,) and from which Lift so prefented, the Plaintiff and Defendant fhail each have the liberty of The cases where objecting to three, leaving three Arbitrators,who fhall decide in a fummary manner, sired by Plaintif and return an Arbitrament according to the proofs made before them, and which Arbitration fhall be final and conclufive; and fo foon as the aforefaid Arbitrators fhall have been felected, the faid Juftice of the Peace fhall grant a Written Order to that effect, to be ferved on fuch Arbitrators by fome Peace Officer or Sergeant of Militia, nearest to the refidence of the faid Arbitrators, which Arbitrators fo fummoned, shall and they are hereby required to appear before fuch Juftice of the Peace under the penalty of five fhillings, current money of this Province, for every neglect or refufal fo to do, and it fhall be the duty of the faid Juftice of the Peace before the matter in dispute fhall have been difcuffed to adminifter an oath to each of the faid arbitrators well and truly to determine the matters at issue, according to the evidence, and the aforefaid three arbitrators fhall be entitled to receive for their attendance and arbitrament, one fhilling and fixpence, current money of this Province, and no more. arbitration is de or Defendant, Duty of the Jus® tices on applica ty to issue Sub the attendance of III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, that it shall be lawful tion of either par- for the Juftice or Juftices of the Peace before whom any fuch fuit or action shall penas to compel have been inftituted, on the application of either party, to iffue Writs of Subwitnesses. pœna, to compel the appearance of witneffes before him or before the faid arbitrators, under a penalty of ten fhillings, current money of this Province, for each and every default to appear as by the faid Writ of Subpoena commanded; and that it fhall be lawful to and for fuch Juftice or Juftices of the Peace to administer to fuch witneffes an Oath in the ufual manner. Penalty on perBons refusing to pay costs. IV. And whereas it is proper to fix the cofts of fuch Caules as fhall be adjudged under de bons, ou pour tel billet ou billets promiffoires feulement où la partie ou les parties aux quelles tel billet ou billets feront payables, pourfuivront celui ou ceux qui les auront faits, les cas exceptés où une partie ou des parties ainfi poursuivant reclameront en vertu d'un endoffement, ou autrement que fufdit. Juges de Paix arbitres se par le Deman. deur. II. Et qu'il foit de plus ftatué par l'autorité fufdite, que dans les cas où l'une Devoirs des des parties, foit demandeur ou défendeur, dans aucune pourfuite ou pourfuites qui dans les cas où feront intentées en vertu de cet A&te, pourra requérir l'avantage d'une décision ront demandés d'arbitres fur l'objet en litige, il fera du devoir du Juge de Paix par devant qui elle deur ou le défenaura été inftituée, de prélenter aux parties une lifte de neuf perfonnes défintéreffées qui ne feront aucunement alliées fous le degré de parenté prohibé par la Loi aux arbitres, laquelle lifte fera prife d'un tableau général qui fera tenu par le dit Jage de Paix faifant mention des noms de tous francs-tenanciers de l'âge de majorité demeurant à une distance qui ne fera pas plus de deux lieues de la demeure du dit Juge de Paix devant qui la plainte aura été portée, laquelle lifte de neuf perfonnes fera. prife à tour de role, de manière que les mêmes perfonnes ne feront choisies une · feconde fois qu'à leur tour, et de laquelle lifte ainfi préfentée le demandeur et le défendeur auront chacun la liberté d'objecter à trois, laiffant trois arbitres qui en décideront d'une manière sommaire, et en rendant l'arbitrage fuivant les preuves devant eux, et lequel arbitrage fera final et conclufif; et auffitôt que les arbitres fuf-normés auront été choisis, le dit Juge de Paix donnera un ordre par écrit à cet effet pour être fignifié à tels arbitres par quelqu'officier de Paix ou Sergent de Milice, le plus proche de la réfidence des dits arbitres, lefquels arbitres ainfi fommés feront et font par le préfent requis de comparoître par devant le dit Juge de Paix, fous peine de cinq chelins, argent courant de cette Province, pour chaque né-. gligence ou refus de le faire, et il fera du devoir du dit Juge de Paix, avant que l'affaire en litige ait été discutée, d'adminiftrer le ferment à chacun des dits arbitres de bien et vraiment décider les matières en litige felon les témoignages, et les fuldits trois arbitres auront droit de recevoir pour leur affiftance et arbitrage, un chelin et fix deniers, argent courant de cette Province, et pas d'avantage. 111. Et qu'il foit de plus ftatué par l'autorité fufdite, qu'il féra loifible au Juge ou Juges de Paix par devant qui telle pourfuite ou action aura été inftituée, fur l'application d'aucune des parties, d'expédier des Writs de fubpænd pour la compa ution des témoins par devant lui, ou par devant les dits arbitres, fous une pénalité de dix chelins, argent courant de cette Province, pour chaque défaut de comparoître fuivant l'ordre du dit Writ de fubpœnâ, et qu'il fera loifible au dit Juge ou Juges de Paix, d'adminiftrer le ferment à tels témoins de la manière ordinaire. IV. Et vû qu'il eft convenable d'établir les dépens en telles caufes qui feront Pénalité contre décidées les personnes qui refuseront de pay> er les frais. pay any sum of money, after judgment obtain ed against them. Continuance of this Act. Penalties and forfeitures. how recovered. under and in virtue of this Act, by any Juftice or Juftices of the Peace, be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, that it fhall be lawful to and for the said Juf. tices of the Peace to demand and have for every fummons, one fhilling, currency, for every Copy of a Summons, fix pence, currency, for every Subpoena one fhilling, currency, for every copy of a Subpoen fixpence, currency, for every Judgment, and copy thereof, one fhilling and three pence, currency, for every Warrant of distress, one fhilling and three pence, currency; and that the Peace Officer or Serjeant of Mi litia, for every fervice and fignification of the fame, fhall have at the rate of one fhilling, currency, per league, for the diftance he shall have gone to perform such fervice, the distance in returning from the place where such fervice fhall have been made not entitling him to any allowance. V. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, that the faid Juftices of the Peace fhall keep a Regifter of all Suits which tha I have been brought before them refpectively, in virtue of this A&t, and shall give copies thereof to fuch perfons as fhall demand the fame, and may for ftch copies claim and have at the rate of fix pence, currency, for every hundred words, under a penalty of ten pounds, cur. rent money of this Province, on the faid Juftice of the Peace for refefing to give a copy thereof, to be recovered by the party to whom the faid copy fhall have been refuted, one half of which penalty fhall belong to His Majefty and the other half to the party complaining. VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, that if any Person or Perfons fhall refuse or negle&t to pay and fatisfy fuch fum or fums of money within eight days after judgment obtained, together with fuch cofts as upon fuch complaint as aforefaid fhall be adjudged, the fame being demanded, fuch Juftice or Juftices of the Peace fhall by warrant of feizure and fale, under his or their band and feal or hands and feals, (which warrant of leizure and fale fhall be in the form herein after mentioned) caufe the fame to be levied by diftrefs and fale of the goods of the party or parties fo refufing or neglecting as aforefaid, together with all cofts and charges attending fuch diftrefs and fale, but which shall not in any cafe, exceed the sum of feven hilings and three pence, current money of this Province. VII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, that this A& shall continue and be in force until the first day of May, which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one and no longer. VIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, that the penalties imposed by this A& fhall be levied by diftiels and fale of the goods and chattels of the offender, by a warrant or warrants under the hand and feal of any Juftice of the Peace of this Province, and the fame fhall, when levid, be paid into the hands of the Receiver General of the Province for the time being, for the ufe of His Majely, |