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places ap

pointed for holding courts in Northamp

ton.

ORDERED, That the comissioners of the count: Two distinct of Northampton shall exercise judicature in two distinct places of that county, That is to say, in the vpper and lower parts, the middle devision to be Hunger's Creeke from the head thereof to the widow Billiott's house, including the said house in the lower pre-- Upper and cincts, and that the administration of justice shall be lower parts. on the 28th day of every moneth in the vpper part and Court days the other in the lower part, And that the comissioners of the respective divisions shall attend the courts held therein according to the time and day within limitted.

held in each

BY reason of the great inconvenience occasioned by Court to be the partition of the Isle of Wight county by Pagan parish of Isle Creeke, it is ordered that in each parish of the said of Wight. county a monthly court be held on the 9th day of every moueth successively each parish still continueing equally relative to the comissioners of the county in gennerall and that the com'rs. of each parish appoint places convenient for the holding of the courts aforesaid.

ACTS OF ASSEMBLY.

ACT I.

Attachments

authorized against per

sons removing with their fa

milies to distant settle

FFOR the avoiding.creditors' charges and trouble in recovery of debts, It is enacted, That all persons removeing themselves and families into any remote plantation northerly or southerly, and the said persons soe removeing being ingaged to any person or persons resideing within that county or neer therevnto from ments. whence they shall first remove, shall vpon warrant is- Execution to sueing out from the office against them personally ap- issue against pear, and not by attorney, and judgment once obtain- the bodies of ed against them: execution vpon non-payment to their who are to be creditors shall issue against their bodies and their said imprisoned at bodies shall be forthwith conveyed to James Cittie, James City. there to remaine till the debt be satisfied: Provided that this act extend not beyond one whole the time of his removeall.

year from

the debtors;

Limitation.

Indians not to be killed with

in the English bounds unless doing mischief.

No Indians to be enter

tained without

license from the co'ty.court or 2 justices of the peace. Indian chil

dren, by leave

ACT II.

FFOR the better securing the peace both of English and Indians, Bee it inacted, That no Indian or Indians coming within our lands or bounds shall be killed vnles they the said Indians shall be taken in any act or acts of mischeife:

And be it further inacted that noe person or persons shall entertayne or receive any Indians without leave first obteined from the countye court where such occasion shall be offered, or at leastwise from two comissioners whereof one shall be of the quorum; And that all Indian children by leave of their parents shall be taken as servants for such a terme as shall be agreed on by rents, may be the said parent and master as aforesaid; Provided that due respect and care be had that they the said Indian servants be educated and brought vp in the Christian religion and the covenants for such service or services to be confirmed before two justices of the peace as aforesaid.

of their pa

taken as servants,but must be educated and bro't up in the Christian religion.

Inhabitants exporting their tobacco not liable to any duty or

custom.

ACT III.

Be it enacted, That no inhabitants exporting their tobaccoes out of this colony shall be liable to the payment of any taxe or custome whatsoever, notwithstanding any thing in any former act or acts provided to the contrary.

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ACT IV.*

FFOR the greater incouragement of manufacture and other trade be it inacted that all peeces of eight of what mettle soever shall pass for currant and lawfull at five shillings per peece imediately after publication of this act and if any person or persons shall refuse any peece or peeces in or for any consideration tendred vn

This act repealed at the next session. See ante ch. IV. pa.397. The acts of March, 1655-6, having been placed before those of March, 1654-5, in the MS; and both of them being numbered simply 1655, the mistake was not discovered till it was too late to alter the arrangement.

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to them, the said party so refuseing shall be liable to the censure of the next ensueing county court where such contempt shall be offered.

ACT V.

BE it enacted, That the com'rs. of each county court shall have authority to license ordinaries and ffer

ryes.

authorised to Co❜ty courts license tavern keepers and ferries.

H

ACT VI.

BE it enacted by this Grand Assembly That all Irish servants that from the first of September, 1653, have bin brought into this collony without indenture (notwithstanding the act for servants without indentures it being only the benefitt of our own nation) shall serve as followeth, (vizt.) all above sixteen yeares old to serve six years, and all vnder to serve till they be twenty-four years old and in case of dispute in that behalfe the court shall be judge of their age.

ACT. VII.*

Irish servauts bro't in

without indentures, if

above 16 years old to if under 16 to serve till 24.

serve 6 years;

Election of how the time and place of election to be Sheriffs

burgesses;

notified by the

BE it enacted by this present Grand Assembly that all Burgesses shall be sumoned and elected in manDer hereafter expressed, That is to say, that the severall and respective sherriffs shall within ten dayes after the receipt of such writts as they shall receive to that purpose cause the same to be published and by giving notice of the same from house to house by the sherriff or this deputy to all persons interested in elections, which he is to doe ex officio: And then and there also to publish and declare the certain day of the week When and and moneth for chooseing Burgesses to serve in the As- where held sembly for all accustomed places in the severall countyes and parishes respectively.

That at the day and place of elections the sher

This act is numbered in the margin of the MS. 7, 8, 9, as three distinct acts; but the subject matter not admitting of such division I have comprised the whole in one act.

Sheriffs to

attend the

election and make returns to the secretary's office

riffs shall take view of the said elections, and before the sitting of the Assembly make returne into the secretary's office, att James Cittie, of the persons then and there elected, by subscription and of the major part of the hands of the electors; and that the sherriff who shall wittingly or willingly make any false return of the electors. or neglect his duty shall incurr the pennalty of 10000

of the persons elected by the subscription of

the major part

Penalty.

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lb. of tob❜o.

That the persons who shall be elected to serve in Assembly shall be such and no other then such as are persons of knowne integrity and of good conversation and of the age of one & twenty yeares-That all bouse keepers whether freeholders, lease holders, or otherwise tenants, shall onely be capeable to elect Burgesses, and none hereby made vncapable shall give his subscription to elect a Burgesse vpon the pennalty of four hundred pounds of tobacco and cask to be disposed of by the court of each county where such contempt shall be vsed: Provided that this word house keepers repeated in this act extend no further then to one person in a ffamily.*

One or two places to be set apart in each county, to which the trade of the county and markets shall be wholly sonfined.

ACT VIII.

An Act for regulateing of Trade and establishing
Ports and Places for Marketts.

TO prevent the great inconveniencies of trade and comerce in this collony, the long demorage of shipps with the greate abuse of fforestallers whereby the poor inhabitants of this collony are greatly impo

verished:

Be it enacted by this present Grand Assemblie, as followeth That in every county respectively within this collony there be one or two places and no more, ten miles distant forthwith appointed and sett apart by the comissioners with the consent of the inhabitants if it may be within the extent of one mile and a halfe or two

This act was amended by act XVI of the next session (see ante pa 403) and the right of suffrage extended to all free men.-See note to act IV of this session.

at the most vpon one or both sides any small river or creeke within the same where the marketts and trade of the county shall be and not else where.

All ships or vessels reticular ports appointed by

stricted to par

this act.

That all shipps or vessells whatsoever arriving after the expiration of this Assembly shall be comanded & compelled to make, vpon oath, a true entry, att the place and to the officer appointed for that purpose, of theire shipps, vessels, and all their merchandises and servants that are to be putt off, according to their severall bills 24 of ladeing, and the boatswaines booke; and that they and all the merchants and others haveing any of them To make entry to sell shall be hereby enjoyned, vpon penalty of being on oath. adjudged fforestallers and to incurr the penalty there- Merchandize of sett by the lawes of England, before any vnshipping to be carried or vnlading thereof, to declare and accordingly to transport and carry the same to some one or more places of markett appointed by this act, and there to sell the same; And be it further ordained, that all freedom of trade shall be maintained, and all merchants and Freedom of traders shall be cherished, and receive all lawful assistance and incouragement, with due justice against &c. their debtors, and for the dispatch of shipping; And that the act forbidding above fifty per cent. gaine in merchandise shall be repealed and void.

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And it is hereby further enacted and injoyned that all comissioners neglecting their assistance and dutyes required hereby shall be fineable by the Governour and Councill, who are required especially to see the accomplishment of this act: And the said comissioners forthwith to certifye to the Governour and Council their proceedings in the same and the place or places nominated in the severall respective countyes, and if any doubt arise the same to be determined by the Governour and Councill in the vacancy of Assemblyes.

to some place of market

hereby ap

pointed.

trade to be maintained

Comm'rs.
neglecting
their duty to

be fined by
the gov. and
council; to
make report,
If any doubt
arise, to be de-
the gov. and
council, dur-
ing the recess.
bly!

termined by

of the assem

Comm'rs. to appoint mar cause public offices and

ket days; to

Alsoe the comissioners of the severall counties respectively shall appoint the day of the week for their markett, differring from the adjoyning marketts, and shall keep their courts, the clerkes and sherriff's office and prison within the circuit of the said marketts, and endeavour to have their meeting places or churches & ordinaryes for entertaynement and lodging within the same, Provided nevertheless that all merchants or tra- Merchants ders, att theire pleasure, shall and may with certificate

houses to be kept within the circuit of the market.

may trans

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