Verdict. Ir is enacted, that the verdicts of all great inquests, setting quests, and slander juries, shall, for the time to come, be delivered and received in the presence of both parties, or their agents or attornies in public court, as anciently accustomed, or by the proper magistrate or magistrates out of court, but that to be likewise made known unto, and done in the presence of the parties, or their agents or attornies, who for that purpose are to attend at the courts as well as before such magistrates, when such verdicts are to be taken to make their objections, if they have any, otherwise the same to be received, and the proceedings to go on, in his or their default *. Usury. No person upon any contract, shall take, directly or indirectly, for loan of money, wares, merchandize, or other commodities, or for any corrupt loan, exchange, bargain, mortgage, or any other deceitful way or means, or other doings whatsoever, above the value of six pounds, for the forbearance of an hundred pounds for a year; and so after that rate for a greater or lesser sum, or for a longer or shorter time: and that all bonds, contracts, or assurances whatsoever, for payment of any principal or money, to be lent or covenanted to be performed upon or for any usury, whereupon or whereby there shall be reserved a greater interest than aforesaid, shall be utterly void. And if any person shall do any act or thing contrary to the tenor of this act, he shall * A. T. 1737. forfeit for every such offence to the lord of the isle, or the treble value of the monies, wares, merchandize, or other thing lent, bargained, sold or exchanged *. Watch and Ward. WATCH and ward shall be kept throughout the land, as it ought, upon pain of life and limb; for whosoever faileth any night in his ward, forfeiteth a weather to the warden; and to the warden the second night, a cow; and the third night life and limb. [Which is afterwards, upon a question put thereon, by the governor, to the deemsters and keys, thus explained.] If any party fail, and do not come to his watch, and the warden do appoint another in his room, to forfeit according to this statute. Watch and ward upon the ports and seacoasts to be well and duly kept, and whosoever fails, he forfeits all his goods unto the lord, and his body at the lord's will. [Which upon a question put thereon by the governor to the deemsters and keys, is thus explained.]. If the party be in the place whereat he should watch, and after the watch set, go away before the ordinary time without consent of the warden, to forfeit body and goods to the lord. If the wardens do not their duty according to the captain's direction, they are to be punished at his dis -cretion. There is no forfeiture to the warden unless he appoint one instead of another. All other forfeitures are to the lord. * A. T. 1691.. Watch and ward shall be kept according to the strict order of law, and none shall be sent thither, but such as are of discretion, and able to observe to be careful: and the night-watch shall come at sun-set, and not depart before sun-rise; and the day-watch come at sunrise, and not depart before sun-set *. Ways.: WHEN a man comes to the deemster to complain that he wants a highway from his house to the king's highway, he ought to drive as far as he may upon his own ground, and then he ought to have a way upon his neighbour, and that ought to be eighteen feet broad: and if his own ground come to the highway, he can have none of his neighbour's; for although he wanteth the nearest way, he ought not to have it but in that order t. Weights and Measures. ALL weights and measures used for buying or selling in this island, shall be according to the standard of his Majesty's exchequer in England, and a standard thereof shall be kept at Castle Rushen, by the regula tor of weights and measures; who shall be appointed by the governor; and sets of the like weights and measures shall be delivered to, and kept by the high bailiffs, in their respective districts: And all weights and measures used within such districts, shall be compared and regulated thereby, and stamped by such high-bailiffs; for each of which so compared and stamped, the high Ord. 1594. + Cust. Laws, 1577. bailiffs shall take the fee of one penny. And each highbailiff, with the assistance of one or more petit conbles, is required to inspect the weights and measures made use of in his district from time to time, four times in the year, at least. And in case any person shall make use of any weight or measure, not stamped as aforesaid, or any weight or measure, which shall, upon examination, be found deficient, according to the standard aforesaid, such weights or measures shall be forthwith renewed, or broken and destroyed. The offender and the offence shall be reported in writing, by the said high bailiff, to the said regulator, and the person or persons offending, by using such unlawful or defective weights or measures, shall thereupon severally forfeit for the first offence the sum of ten shillings and for the second offence twenty shillings, and for the third offence three pounds; and for every offence thereafter, such offender or offenders shall severally be subject to a fine not exceeding the sum of five pounds, or imprisonment, not exceeding one month, which said seve ral forfeitures or fines shall, by order of the governor, or lieutenant-governor for the time being, be forthwith levied by execution and distress, and paid into the hands of the said regulator of weights and measures, and be by him distributed among such high-bailiffs, petit constables, and others, employed in the carrying of this clause of the act effectually into execution, in such manner, shares, and proportions, as the governor of this isle, for the time being, shall for that purpose direct and appoint. And the said regulator of weights and measures is hereby required to keep a book, and make entries therein of all proceedings and transactions which shall occur in his department, as aforesaid, for the examination and inspection of all and every person and persons whom it shall or may concern *. * A. T. 1777. Ihales. If any porpus, sturgeon, or whale, be taken within the heads of Man, they be the lord's by his prerogative *. Will. IF any make their testament, and leave not sixpence legacy unto their children unmarried, legitimately begotten, or the value thereof, then the ordinary may lawfully make him or her executors with the rest. If there be any man or woman that mislike their children's behaviour, the parties making their will before sufficient witnesses, if they do bequeath to their said children but sixpence, they can claim no more for their child's part of goods t. It is ordered, that the probate of every will and making decrees of deceadents' goods, shall be fully performed and effected within the time and space of three months next after the decease of the party, upon pain of fine and severe punishment on the parties that shall fail, after due and lawful notice, and summons given, by the officers of the spiritual court, appointed in such matters and therefore, that spiritual officers take special care for the observance of this order . It is enacted, that no nuncupative will shall be valid whereby lands are devised, or personal estates bequeathed, that are not proved by the oaths of two witnesses, at the least, who were present at the making thereof; and that the testator at the time of pronouncing the same, being of sound and disposing mind, memory, and ‡ A. T. 1665, * Ord. 1422. ‡ 1577. |