Collony's debts, and putting monies in bank, for sending an Agent for England, if need, shall require. Be it enacted by this Assembly and the authority thereof, and it is hereby enacted, That there shall be a rate of eight hundred pounds current money, levied upon this Collony, for the use and uses aforesaid, in manner following, viz. : And it is further enacted by this Assembly and the authority thereof, That the said rate or levy shall be gathered after the manner and form hereafter mentioned, according to the proportion of each town. 1. That there shall be two men chosen in each town in said Collony, to inspect and take an account of each person's rateable estate, in the town where they dwell, and that they take an exact account of all male persons in their respective towns from the age of sixteen years, to sixty years of age. 2. The persons so chosen, having taken an exact account as aforesaid, shall make return thereof, to the Assistants or Justices of their respective towns by the 1st of September next. 3. That the persons so chosen, shall be allowed out of said rate the sum of three shillings per day for their service therein. 4. If the persons so chosen and appointed, shall refuse or neglect the performance of what is above specified, as to the taking an account of the persons' estates, and the number of males as aforesaid, shall be fined the sum of twenty shillings [for] each person; which fine shall be for the use of the poor of the town whereunto they do belong, to be taken by due course of law; and the Assistants or Justices to choose other persons till they can get them that will serve. 5. That two Assistants or two Justices in each town whereunto they belong, shall appoint the aforesaid persons; but in such towns where there is but one Assistant or one Justice, [he] shall have the like authority, as aforesaid. 6. That the Assistants or Justices of each town, having received the aforesaid account, shall forthwith by warrant to the Town Sergeant of said town, cause the inhabitants of their respective towns to assemble and meet together, and make choice of three well qualified men, to whom the said account shall be delivered; who shall assess each person's rateable estate, according to an act made in the year 1695, so as to raise the sum assessed on each town; and shall be under the same penalty if they refuse, as they were upon the late levy of two pence on the pound. 7. That each male person from sixteen years to sixty years of age, shall pay the sum of one shilling per head, negroes and Indians and impotent persons excepted, without it be such as are freemen, and have set up any trade or calling in this Collony. 8. It is further enacted by this Assembly and the authority thereof, That if any person within this his Majesty's Col lony, by any covin or fraud, or other deception, shall keep back any part of his or their rateable estate, and shall not give the persons thereunto appointed as aforesaid, a true account, that then one fourth part of all such goods and chattels so kept back, shall be forfeited; the one half to the informer, and the other half to the use of the poor where such person shall inhabit, to be recovered by due course of law. 9. That the Assistants and Justices of each town, shall forthwith, after the dissolution of this Assembly, make choice of two persons to take account of each person's estate, and the number of males as aforesaid; and upon the return of said account by said persons, the Assistants or Justices shall with what expedition may be, cause the inhabitants of their respec tive towns to assemble and make choice of three persons to assess the said rate as aforesaid. 10. And upon the said persons or the major part of them, assessing and proportioning the said rate, the Assistants or Justices, are forthwith to issue forth their warrants to the Consta bles of their towns to gather in one half of their said towns' rate by the 29th day of September next; and the same to be paid unto the Generall Treasurer at or before the last Wednesday in October next; the which shall be for the sending an Agent or Agents for England, if need shall be, or otherwise, as the Assembly shall dispose. 11. The other half of each town's rate, shall be gathered and paid into the Generall Treasury at or before the 25th day of March next; there to remain in order for the payment of the Collony's debts. 12. That an account of all and every person's rateable estate, be brought into the Generall Assembly in October next, in order that if any town be over-proportioned, it may be mitigated. And whereas, this act declares that the Assistants and Justices in each town shall grant forth their warrants, it is to be understood that the Wardens in the towns where no Assistant nor Justice lives, shall have the like power, as aforesaid. Voted, The Auditt chosen by the last Assembly, to auditt the Collony's accounts, hath made their return to this Assembly that they find of what was presented to them, that the Collony's debts amount to two hundred and sixty pounds; and what credit the Collony hath in the Generall Treasury is forty six pounds, which accounts signed by said Auditt, is allowed by this Assembly. Voted, Whereas our Honored Governor, Samuel Cranston, Esq'r, hath presented to this Assembly the necessity that may be for the reception of the Lord Bellomont, if he should come into the Collony, for his honorable entertainment, it is the resolve of this Assembly, that in relation for the performing the premises, that our Honored Governor shall command out of the Generall Treasury, to the value of forty pounds, if there be occasion, upon the Lord's arrival here. Voted, This Assembly having considered the great charge and expense that our Honored Governor is daily at on the Collony's concerns, have enacted, and it is hereby enacted, that there shall be added to the Governor's sallary the sum of 32 VOL. III. twenty pounds per annum; so that the whole sum shall be thirty pounds, to be paid out of the Generall Treasury, upon demand. Voted, Whereas at the first sitting of this Assembly, there were three men appointed to inspect into our body of laws, and to make their return to the Assembly upon adjournment to Kingtown, and they having not proceeded in the premises, this Assembly have again nominated the said three persons, to wit: Capt'n Nathaniel Coddington, Capt'n Henry Tew, and Weston Clarke, and have added unto them our Honored Governor Cranston, Mr. Thomas Olney, Capt'n Andrew Willett, for abreviating and bringing into a body the Act of Assembly, in order to be sent home with all expedition, according to their Lordships' commands; and they or the major of them, to make return of their proceedings to the Generall Assembly in October next, for their approbation. And for their encouragement, to allow them such sallary as may be convenient, with their rea sonable expense in said affair. Voted, This Assembly, upon consideration hath nominated Mr. Walter Clarke, Coll. Peleg Sanford, Major John Greene, Deputy Governor, Capt'n Nathaniel Coddington, Mr. Thomas Olney, and Weston Clarke, are the persons nominated to meet the Connecticut gentlemen to treat before the Lord Bellomont, about the west bounds of the Collony, when thereunto called. And it is hereby enacted and ordered, That if the major part of said persons be removed by death or otherwise, before the said treaty, that then it shall be in the power of the Governor, Deputy Governor and Generall Council to nominate other persons for the end and purposes afore premised. Voted, Whereas there was a petition presented to this Assembly, by Thomas Durfee and Deliverance Durfee, his wife, late widow to Bikill Trip, of Portsmouth, deceased, for the settling and confirming the ferry between Rhode Island and Bristol, upon the heir of the said Bikill Trip, this Assembly, upon good consideration, do hereby enact, and it is hereby enactel, that the said ferry be stated upon the said Thomas Durfee and age, his wife, till the said heir of the said Bikill Trip come of which will be in about seven years; and that John Burden be also permitted to keep said ferry in equal priviledge with said Durfee; and he being obliged, with said Durfee, during said time, to carry all Magistrates, Deputies, Jurymen, and all other persons being upon his Majesty's service, belonging to this Collony, and the post ferriage free, and to pay six shillings in money, yearly each, into the Generall Treasury; prohibiting all others from using and following the said employ without license from the Assembly of this Collony. The said Durfee and Burden not to exceed their usual price for ferriage, without the Assembly's approbation; any act to the contrary, notwithstanding. Voted, That the Recorder shall have eight shillings out of each town treasury for the acts of this Assembly, under the seal of the Collony; and that they be transcribed and sealed, and sent to each town within fourteen days after the dissolution of this Assembly. Proceedings of the Generall Assembly held for the Collony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at Providence, the 26th day of October, 1698. Major Samuel Cranston, Governor. Mr. Joseph Jencks, Jun'r, Speaker. Whereas, it was enacted by the Generall Assembly of this Collony, held at Kingstown, in said Collony, August the 2d, 1698, by adjournment, &c., that there should be a rate made, and assessed on the inhabitants of said Collony, reference to said act being had, may more at large appear. And whereas said act in the assessing and gathering thereof |