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the 4th day of September last past, 'concerninge the plantinge and trade of tobacco [by the] twentyeth and one and twentyeth acts. And whereas for divers good considerations, it is thought fitt to explayne the sayd acts in many parts and particulars, and to make some alteration in some of them, It is therefore ordered, That the sayd twentyeth and one and twentyeth acts be in all and every part repealed and voyd. And that these orders and constitutions followinge be established and observed within this colony.

first, The whole bodie of this present Grand Assembly, for the better upholdinge the price of this commoditie, and that they may follow workes of better consequence, doth assent and agree that there shall be appoynted five stores hereafter specified unto which the planters shall be obliged to bringe in all theire tobaccoes before the last day of December, and in the same stores to be repacked, viewed and tryed by sworne men appoynted for that purpose, who shall be one at least of the counsell whose dwellinge is nearest to that place; to whome rest of the commissioners of the severall plantations shall be joyned assistants who shall once a weeke or oftener yf neede require take vewe of such tobaccoes as is brought in, cause all the badd and ill conditioned tobaccoes instantlie to be burnt and the planters thereof to be disabled further from plantinge any more of that commoditie of tobacco.

1st, Any tobaccoes the sayd sworne to be good and marchantable, shall be received into the severall stores, and entered severall accounts of those that were the planters thereof.

2dly, It is ordered, That no person or persons doe or shall pay or receave, or cause to be payd or receaved any tobaccoes before it have beene vewed, tryed and entered into the stores aforesayd. And all payments of debts, shall be made and done at the sayd stores, with the privitie and in the presence of the store keepers; and all tobaccoes shall theire remayne, until such tyme as the same be laden away aboard some shipp or shipps to be transported out of this colony. And the commissioners for the severall parts shall take care to see sufficient stores built and able store keepers appoynted as they will answer the contrary.

3dly, And no person or persons for whome one or more cropp or cropps of tobacco shall be planted may

neglect, withhold, or deteyne any tobaccoes from bring inge the same to the sayd stores uppon penaltie of confiscation of soe much as shall be kept backe at the last day of December; to which purpose alsoe very such person or persons shall be sworne at or before the last day of December yearelie, to take his oath at the sayd stores or theire to present certificate of such oath under the hand of the sayd commissioners, that he or they have kept backe from the sayd stores no tobacco of theire cropp or cropps, except such as is reserved for his or theire owne spendinge to use in his familie.

4thly, The sayd five stores shall be kept in the places followinge, vizt.

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ces stores or warehouses

established.

At James Citty, at Shirley hund. Iland, Denbeigh, At what plaSouthampton river in Elizabeth Citty, and Kiskyake, vizt. all the inhabitants in the upper parts, as lowe as Weyanoake shall bringe theire tobacco to the store at Shirley hund. Iland, and the inhabitants from Weyanoake to Stanley hund. and Lawnes Creeke to the store at Jaines Citty, and all the inhabitants from Stanley hund. and Laynes Creeke downe to Maries Mount to the store at Denbigh. And all the inhabitants of Elizabeth Citty, Accowmacke and the Ile of Kent to the stores in Southampton river.

5thly. Lastlie all the inhabitants of Charles river to the store at the Rocks agaynst Tindall's poynt.

Noe tobacco uppon payne of confiscation after the publication hereof, shall be made upp in rolle except betweene the first day of August and the last day of October, and noe old tobacco shall be made upp uppon the like payne but that which shall be cured that present yeare.

What tobac

co may be made up in

rolls.

head limit

6thly. Be it further ordered, That no planter or mas- Number of ter of a familie, shall plant or cause to be planted above plants per 1500 plants per pol; and they which shall not plant to- ed. bacco, or they which shall be otherwise imployed, may not transferr theire proportion of plantinge the sayd Right of 1500 plants or any part thereof unto any other whome- planting not soever. And as neere as may be the planters shall en- to be transdeavour themselves to plant and sowe these kindes of tobacco which are of the longe sortes, and all other sorts the next yeare shall be quite left of, and given What sort of over: and to prevent any greater quantities every plan

ferred.

tobacco to

plant.

Crops of tobacco to be viewed and counted.

Penalty for neglect or excess, on the planter.

On the commanders of plantations.

Goods to be Janded at James City, & contracts for tobacco

there to be made.

Penalty.

Price of tobacco.

Penalty for selling for less.

Invoices of

goods to be delivered.

ter or master of a familie plantinge a cropp of tobacco more or lesse shall be tyed to procure one of his neighbors, or some sufficient man to count 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 nombered the sayd plants and shall say in his conscience the iust and true nomber of them, which thiuge yf the sayd planters or maysters of a familie shall neglect, or that the nomber of plants be found to exceede the proportion of 1500 plants per pol, then the commander is hereby required, to present it to the mounthlie corts, and the commissioners there shall give present order to have that whole cropp of tobacco cutt downe, uppon payne of imprisonment and censure of the Governor and Counsel and Grand Assembly, yf the sayd commissioners shall neglect the execution thereof. Also uppon neglect of the commander herein he shall be censured by the Governor and Counsell. And any person soe offendinge in exceedinge the quantitie of 1500 plants per pol as is aforesayd shall be utterlie excluded from plantinge tobacco, after due conviction of the sayd offence.

7thly, All goods shall be landed at James Citty exceptinge such beddinge and wearinge apparell as belonge to passengers. And all contracts, bargaines and exchanges in tobacco for any part of the sayd goods shall be there only made and done, with the privitie of such store keepers as shall be appoynted at James Cit ty, uppon penaltie of the forfeiture of the sayd goods and tobacco, both for the buyer and the seller, which shall be elsewhere or otherwise bought or sould. And no person or persons sellinge or barteringe his tobacco shall directlie or indirectlie take any goods for the same under the rate of six pence per pound for every pound of tobacco, which he or they shall soe barter or sell, as the goods first cost in England bona fide uppon penaltie of the sayd offence, to forfeite the sayd tobacco soe bartered or sould, the one halfe of which forfeiture shall be to the informer, and the other halfe to publique uses, and shall also suffer such other punishment as shall be thought fitt by the Governor and Counsell.

8thly, And to avoyd any indirect courses herein to frustrate the good intention of this act all masters or

pursers of shippinge shall deliver uppon oath the true
contents of all such goods as are imported in theire
shipps; and that they have discharged none. And yf
they shall finde any more than is conteyned in the in-
voyce which they shall deliver, they shall give know-
ledge thereof before they land the same. And further
to that purpose searchers shall be appoynted to search
the shipps and secret places of the sayd shipps, and to ed.
seize all concealed goods.

Searchers to be appoint

ACT II.

An act concerninge Mynisters' allowance.

tithes further

THE whole bodie of the Assembly takinge into Imposition of theire consideration the allowance of the twentyeth continued. calves, kidds, and piggs graunted unto the Mynisters in the 14th act in the Assembly holden on the 4th day of September last past, and made to endure for the terme of one whole yeare, then next ensuinge, for the better encouragement of the mynisters in theire callinge, have thought fitt to continew, the sayd 14th act in all parts and respects, untill the sessions of the next Assembly.

ACT III.

An act for the payment of the Mynisters' Tobacco and

Corne.

directed that

allowance of

tobacco shall be carried to

them, repeal

CONCERNINGE the payment of the dutie of So much of a 10 lb. tobacco to the mynisters appoynted by the 16th former act as act of the Assembly holden the 4th day of September the ministers' last past, It is thought fitt, That the sayd act be repealed so farr forth as concerneth the bringinge in of the sayd 10 lb. of tobacco uuto appoynted places for that purpose; and in all other poynts to continue and remayne ed. in full force and strength. And it is further ordered by the Assembly, That the sayd dutie of ten pounds of tobacco be payd to such whome the mynister shall appoynt at the severall stores aforesaid, before any other tobacco of any man's cropp be disposed of.

Such tobacco to be deliver

ed at the warehouses.

200

Ministers to appoint dea

cons.

Mechanics to follow their trades and

not to plant tobacco or corn.

Encourage

ment for seating the middle plantation.

ACT IV.

An act that the Mynisters appoynt Deacons in remoate places to read common prayer.

1

IN such places where the extent of the cure of any mynister is so large that he cannot be present himselfe on the Saboth dayes and other holydays, It is thought fitt, That they appoynt and allow mayntenance for deacons where any havinge taken orders can be found for the readinge common prayer in their absence.

ACT V.

An act for Tradesmen to worke on theire trades.

THE necessitie of the present state of the country requiringe, It is thought fitt, That all gunsmiths and naylers, brickmakers, carpenters, joyners, sawyers, and turners, be compelled to worke at theire trades and not suffered to plant tobacco or corne or doe any other worke in the ground-And the commissioners in the severall parts of this colony, shall take care to see this act performed. And further to see that they have good payment made unto them for theire worke out of the stores as soone as the tobacco is brought thither.

ACT VI.

An act for the Seatinge of the middle Plantation.

IT is ordered, That every fortyeth man be chosen and maynteyned out of the tithable persons of all the inhabitants, within the compasse of the forrest conteyned. betweene Queenes creeke in Charles river, and Archers Hope creeke in James river, with all the lands included, to the bay of Chesepiake, and it is appoynted that the sayd men be there at the plantation of Doct. John Pott, newlie built before the first day of March next, and that the men be imployed in buildinge of houses, and securinge that tract of land lyinge betweene the sayd creekes. And to doe such other workes as soone as may bee, as may defray the chardges of that. worke, and to be directed therein as they shall be ordered by the Governor and Counsell. And yf any free men shall this yeare before the first day of May, voluntarilie goe and seate uppon the sayd place of the

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