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Limitation in planting tobacco.

ACT XXI.

BE it also further ordered, That no planter or mayster of a famylie shall plante or cause to be planted above two thousand plants per pol, and that those that shall not plante or be otherwise imployed shall not transferr or make over theire right of plantinge unto any other; and to prevent any greater quantities, every planter or mayster of a famylie plantinge a cropp of tobacco, How nforced. more or lesse, shall be tyed to procure one of his neighbours or some sufficient man to come and nomber his or theire plants of tobacco, who will uppon his oath declare and testifie unto the commander of that place, before the tenth day of July, that he hath counted and nombred the sayd plants, and shall say in his conscience the just and true nomber of them, which thinge yf the sayd planter or mayster of a famylie shall neglect, or that the nomber of the plants is found to exceede the proportion of 2000 per pol, then the commander is hereby to present it to the next mounthlie cort, and the commissioners thereof shall give present order to have all that whole cropp of tobacco cutt down under payne of imprisonment and censure of the governor and counsell and grand assembly yf they neglect the execution thereof. Also uppon the neglect of the commander, he shall be censured in like manner.

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ACT XXII.

IT' is likewise enacted, That no person shall tend, or cause to be tended, above 14 leaves, nor gather or cause to be gathered above 9 leaves uppon a plant of tobacco; and the several commanders shall hereby have power to examine the truth thereof; and yf any offend, to punish the servants by whippinge, and to bind over the mayster unto the next quarter cort at James Citty to be censured by the governor and counsell.

ACT XXIII.

IT is ordered and ordeyned, That no person shall tend, or cause to be tended any slipps of old stalkes of tobacco, or any of the second cropps, upon the forfeiture of the whole cropp, whereof halfe to be to the informer, and halfe to publique uses as aforesayd.

ACT XXIV.

AND it is further ordered and enacted, That all tobacco, shall be taken downe before the end of November, or else not to be adiudged or accounted marchantable.

Tobacco to be struck be

fore the end of November.

ACT XXV.

AND whereas these orders concerninge tobacco are of soe difficult a nature that all inconvenyencyes cannot possibly be foreseene, yf therefore any mischiefe shall ensue, and that complaynt thereof be made by any five or more of the burgisses of this assembly, the gouvenor signified unto them that he will for remedie thereof, with all conveniencye summon an assembly to consult and treat thereuppon.

Assembly to be called, to regulate the planting of tobacco, if the foregoing laws

be found defective.

ACT XXVI.

How the

AND it is further ordeyned, That yf any marchant Penalty for passing bad or any other person whatsoever, shall hereafter make tobacco. complaynt, unto the governor of the place, that any tobacco tendered unto him or them, from or by any planter or person in Virginia, is not good and marchantable, then the sayd commander is hereby required uppon penaltye of being disabled from bearinge any office in this colony for one whole yeare and further censure of the governor and counsell, to make choyce of two sufficient men whom he shall by word of mouth, or quality to be warrant under his hand, require to vewe the sayd tobacco and uppon oath to deliver unto him the goodnes or badnes thereof; and to cause the same to be burnt, yf it be not found marchantable; but yf any person or persons shall refuse to vewe the sayd tobacco and accordinglie to declare the quallitie thereof uppon oath, then it is ordered that the sayd commander shall bynd over the sayd person or persons to answer theire contempt at the next quarter cort before the governor and counsell.

ascertained.

Viewers refus

ing to act,
how punished.

What quantity of corn to be tended.

Por preven tion of forestalling and ingrossing;

Captain of every vessel

to deliver a Kist of all persons

on board.

ACT XXVII.

IT is likewise ordered, That every man workinge in the ground, shall plant, or cause to be planted, and sufficientlie tended, this yeare, at the least two acres of corne per pol, uppon penaltie of forfeiture of their whole cropp of tobacco, yf uppon vewe thereof they shall be found deficient.

ACT XXVIII.

IT is ordered by the Grand Assembly, for the preven tion of forestallinge the markett and ingrossinge of comodities, and other inconveniencyes, that the present commander of the fforte at Poynt Comfort, uppon the arrivall of any shipp or shipps shall immediatelie make his repayre aboard and there require the commander, captayne or mayster, of the shipp or shipps, to deliver unto him a true list of all such persons, which were imbarqued in theire shipp, at theire coming out of England, togeather with theire ages, countryes and townes where they were borne, and to keepe record of the same; and he the sayd commander of the ffort, to admynister unto them the oathes of supremacy, and allegeauce, which yf any shall refuse to take, that he committ Commander him to imprisonment. And it is further ordered, that the sayd commander of the fforte there read and fixe at the mayne mast of the shipp or shipps a proclamation as followeth, to wit:

of the fort to administer the oaths of supremacy & allegiance.

Proclamation commanding

the capt. to sail with the first wind to James City.

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ACT XXVIII.

"TO the captaynes, maysters and commanders of any shipp or shipps ariveinge at the fforte at Poynt "Comfort, I sir John Harvey, knight, governor and "captayne generall of Virginia, send greetinge, These

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are in his majestie's name to will and require you "and straightlie to charge & command you accord"inge to the instructions and directions unto me and the "counsell of state, from the right honorable the lords of "his majesties, most honorable privye counsell, And "accordinge to an act of the Grand Assembly, that "with the first wynd and weather you sayle directlie to the porte of James citty, and that you unlade no goods, nor breake any bulke untill you shall come to

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"an anchor there, uppon payne of the losse of the "goods, and one mounthes imprisonment. Given at "James Citty, the 1st of March, 1631."

ACT XXIX.

None to speak or parley with

the Indians.

IT is ordered, That no person or persons shall dare to speake or parlie with any Indians either in the woods or in any plantation, yf he can possibly avoyd it by any meanes, but as soone as he can, to bringe them to the commander, or give the commander notice thereof uppon penalty of a mounthes service for any free man offendinge and twenty stripes to any servant. But for the planters of the Easterne Shoare, the com- Penalty.' manders are required to observe all good termes of amitie; but that they cause the planters to stand uppon theire guard, and not to suffer the Indians especially the Mattawombes to make any ordinarie resort or aboade in theire houses, and yf any English without leave resort unto theire townes, the commanders to bynd them over to the next quarter cort.

ACT XXX.

THE statutes for artificers and workemen are thought filt to be published in this colony. (1 Jacobi c. 6.)

Exception in favor of the Eastern shore.

planters of the

Stat. I, Ja. c.

6, concerning artificers and workmen.

ACT XXXI.

AND the lawes of England agaynst drunkards are thought fitt, to be published and dulie put in execution, that is to say, for every offence to pay five shillings to the hands of the church wardens, and further as is conteyned in the statutes of the 4th of kinge James and the 5th chapter.

Laws of England against be published. Penalty.

drunkards to

ACT XXXII.

AND it is thought fitt, That whosoever shall sweare

Penalty for

an oath shall pay for every oath one shilling, as is or- swearing devned by the statute, &c.

Monthly

courts estaba former law.

lished, as by

Form of the ' commission, to the com

monthly

courts.

ACT XXXIII.

ACCORDINGE to the former orders of the assembly the 5th of March, 1623, and of the governor and Counsell, It is thought fitt and accordinglie ordered that the mounthlie corts be held and kept in remote parts of this colony: vizt.

ffor the upper parts; for Warwicke River;
ffor Warrosquyoake; for Elizabeth-Citty;
ffor Accawmacke.

The Commission for the upper parts followeth, vizt. "To all to whome these presents shall come, I Sir John Harvey, Kunt. governor and captayne generall of missioners of Virginia, send greetinge in our Lord God everlastinge. Whereas for the greater ease of the inhabitants in divers parts of this colony, and for the better conservation of the peace, and due execution of such lawes and orders, as are or shall be established for the government of the people, and the inhabitants of the same.The governor and councell togeather with the assembly, have thought fitt, and accordinglie ordered and appoynted that theire shall be mounthlie corts, and oftener uppon extraordinarie causes requiring and agreed uppon by the maior part of the comissioners, held and kept in some of the remote plantations.

"NOWE KNOWE YEE, that accordinge to the sayd orders these persons whose names are here inserted are for the tyme beinge assigned and appoynted to be the present comissioners of and for the upper parts within the precincts of Charles Citty and Henrico, William ffarrar, Esqr. Capt. ffrancis Epes, Captayne Thomas Pawlett, Captayne Thomas Osborne, Thomas Palmer gent. Walter Aston, gent. which sayd comissioners, or any fowre of them, whereof Mr. William ffarrar to be alwayes one, shall have power and authoritie to here and determine, all such suites and controversies betweene partie and partie, as exceede not the value of five pounds stirlinge; and farther, that they take into their cares, matters of petty offences, the conservation of the peace, the quiett government of, and safetie of the people there residing or beinge; and that all orders, and proclamations be kept and observed, and accordinge to the same, and as neere as may be, accord

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