very.

such disco- ammunition or gunpowder belonging to any refusing or making default, as aforesaid, so as the same may be seized as aforesaid, for the use of his majesty and his successors; the justices of the peace upon delivery of the same at the county court, as aforesaid, shall have power, and they are hereby required, as a reward for such a discovery, by order of court, to allow him or them a sum of money amounting to the value of the arms, weapons, ammunition, or gunpowder, so discovered, the said sum to be assessed by the judgment of the said justices, at their said court, and to be levied by distress and sale of the goods of the person offending against this act, rendering the overplus which shall arise by such sale, above the said sum, so allowed, and above the necessary charges of taking such distress, to the owner.

Where the

to conform.

VII. Provided always, That if any person who party desires shall have refused or made default, as aforesaid, shall desire to submit and conform, and for that purpose shall present himself before the justices of peace, at the court to be held for the county where his refusal or making default, as aforesaid, shall be certified as aforesaid, and shall there in open court take the said oaths, and subscribe the said test, he shall from thenceforth be discharged of and from all disabilities and forfeitures, which he might or should be liable to for the future, by reason of his refusal or default, as aforesaid.

horse above

the value of 51. to be

sold.

VIII. And be it further enacted, That no Papist, or No Papist to reputed Papist, refusing or making default, as aforckeep any said, at any time after the first day of July, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and fifty-six, shall or may, have or keep, in his own possession, or in the possession of any other person to his use, or at his disposition, any horse or horses, which shall be above the value of five pounds, to be sold, and that any two or more justices of the peace, from time to time, by warrant under their hands and seals, may and shall authorize any person, or persons, with the assistance of the constable where the search shall be (who is hereby required to be aiding and assisting herein) to search for, and seize for the use of his majesty and his successors all such horses, which horses are hereby declared to be forfeited to his majesty and his succes

sors.

IX. And be it further enacted, That if any person Penalty on shall conceal, or be aiding or assisting in the conceal- persons concealing such ing any such horse, or horses, belonging to any Pa- horses. pist, or reputed Papist, so refusing or making default, as aforesaid, after the said first day of July, such person shall be committed to prison, by such warrant, as aforesaid, there to remain without bail or mainprize, by the space of three months, and shall also forfeit and pay to his majesty and his successors, treble the value of such horse or horses, which value is to be settled as aforesaid,

CHAP. V.

An Act to enable certain persons to contract for the transportation of the neutral French to Great-Britain.

Neutral

tain.

I. WHEREAS a large number of people called neutral French, have lately been sent into this colony, from Nova Scotia, and it is apprehended their contin- French to be uance here will greatly endanger the peace and safety transported of the colony: Be it therefore enacted, by the Lieutenant- to Great-BriGovernor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That Peyton Randolph, esquire, Richard Bland, John Chiswell, Benjamin Waller, James Power, Archibald Cary, Robert Carter Nicholas, Dudley Digges, and Bernard Moore, gentlemen, or any five of them, be, and they are hereby impowered and required to contract with any person, or persons, willing to transport the said neutral French to GreatBritain, and to agree on such prices, terms, and con ditions, as they, or any five of them, shall judge reasonable for that purpose.

II. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That the treasurer of this colony be, and he is hereby impowered and required, by warrant from the governor or commander in chief, to pay and discharge all such sums of money, as the said Peyton Randolph, Richard Bland, John Chiswell, Benjamin Waller,

James Power, Archibald Cary, Robert Carter Nicholas, Dudley Digges, and Bernard Moore, or any five of them, shall contract for, for the purposes aforesaid, in treasury notes, to be issued or emitted pursuant to an act of Assembly passed in the twenty-ninth year of the reign of his present majesty, intituled, An act for raising the sum of forty thousand pounds for the protection of his majesty's subjects on the frontiers of this colony.

Revival and

CHAT. VI.

An Act to revive and amend an Act, intituled, An Act for inspecting Pork, Beef, Flour, Tar, Pitch, and Turpentine.

I. WHEREAS an act of Assembly, made in the amendment twenty-second year of the reign of his present majesof act, for in- ty, intituled, An act for inspecting pork, beef, flour, spection of tar, pitch, and turpentin e, did expire at the end of the pork, beef, Hour, tar, last session of Assembly, and the same being, by expitch, and perience, found useful and beneficial to the trade and turpentine. export of this colony, and necessary to be revived and amended: Be it therefore enacted, by the LieutenantGovernor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the said recited act of Assembly, and every clause and article thereof, shall stand and be revived, and shall continue and be in force from, and after the passing of this act, for, and during the term of five years, and from thence to the end of the next session of Assembly.

II. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That no inspector shall pass or stamp any barrel of pork or beef that does not appear to such inspector to be well salted and cured, before the same is packed, any thing in the said act to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.

CHAP. VII.

An Act for appointing Trustees to lease out certain lands and slaves, and for other purposes therein mentioned.

ed by Henry

1. WHEREAS Henry Peasley, formerly of the Certain county of Glocester, deceased, was in his life time, and lands and at the time of his death, seized in fee-simple of a tract slaves, devisor parcel of land, containing six hundred acres, or Persley of thereabouts, lying and being in the parish of Abing- Gloster, for a don, in the said county, and being so seized, by his free-school: last will and testament, in writing, bearing date the to be leased. seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord, one thousand six hundred and seventy five, devised the same by the description of the land he then lived on, together with ten cows and one breeding mare, for the maintenance of a free school for ever, to be kept with a school-master for the education of the children of the parishes of Abingdon and Ware, for ever.

II. And whereas several slaves have been by different persons, since the above devise, given for the same purposes, but by reason of the inconvenient situation of the said land few children frequent the free-school kept there, so that the charitable intention of the said Henry Peasley, and the other donors is of little benefit to the said two parishes.

Trustees of

III. And whereas it is represented to this present General Assembly, by the ministers, churchwardens, Peasley's and vestrymen of the said two parishes of Abingdon free school and Ware, that if proper persons were impowered to to be incor lease out the said land and slaves, the annual rents porated: thereof would be sufficient to support and maintain a free-school in each of the said parishes for the education of the children residing there. Be it therefore enacted, by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the present ministers, churchwardens, and vestrymen of the said two parishes of Abingdon and Ware, and the ministers, churchwardens, and vestrymen of the same parishes, for the time being, shall and may be, and they are hereby nominated and appointed trustees and goF-VOL. 7

Style of corporation.

Free school founded.

vernors of the said lands, slaves, and other premisses for ever; and that the said trustees and governors shall for ever hereafter, stand and be, incorporated, established, and founded. in name and deed, a body politic and corporate to have continuance for ever, by the name of the trustees and governors of Peasley's freeschool; and that they the said trustees and governors may have perpetual succession, and that by that name they and their successors may for ever hereafter have, hold, and enjoy the above mentioned tract or parcel of land, slaves, and other premisses, with their increase, and that the said trustees and governors and their successors, or the greater part of them, by the same name, shall and may have power, ability, and capacity to demise, lease, and grant the said tract or parcel of land, slaves, and other premisses, for any term of years, not exceeding twenty-one years, or for any term of years determinable upon one, two, or three lives, or for one, two, or three lives, reserving the best and most improved rents that can be got for the same, and to take, acquire, and purchase, and to sue and be sued, and to do, perform, and execute all other lawful acts and things, good, necessary, and profitable for the said incorporation, in as full and ample a manner and form, to all intents, constructions, and purposes, as any other incorporation or body politic and corporate fully and perfectly founded and incorporated may do; and that the said trustees and governors, and their successors, for the time being, may have and use a common seal for making such their demises, leases and grants, and for the doing all and every other thing and things touching, or in any wise concerning the said incorporation.

IV. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That they the said trustees and governors, and their successors, or the greater part of them, shall and may, and they are hereby impowered and required, to erect and found a free-school in some convenient part of each of the said parishes of Abingdon and Ware, and by writing under their common seal, to nominate and appoint when, and as often as they shall think necessary, such person, or persons, as they shall approve of to be masters of the said free-schools, respectively, which masters, before they be admitted to keep school, shall undergo an examination before the minister of the parish in which the school he shall be appointed