CHAP. X. An act for paying officers fees due from the inhabitants of other counties, for services done in the counties therein mentioned. 1. WHEREAS by an act of the general assembly, Recital passed in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of his late majesty George the second, the inhabitants of the counties of Halifax and Bedford, were allowed to pay all officers fees at twelve shillings and six pence per hundred on the nett tobacco, and by an act passed in the thirty-second year of the reign of his said late majesty George the second, the inhabitants of the county of Loudoun were allowed to discharge all officers fees, payable in the said county, in money, for tobacco at the rate of twelve shillings and six pence per hundred; and by an act passed in the first year of his present majesty's reign, the inhabitants of the counties of Frederick, Augusta, and Hampshire, were allowed to pay all officers fees at the rate of eight shillings and four pence for every hundred weight of gross tobacco; and by an act passed in the seventh year of his present majesty's reign, the inhabitants of Pittsylvania were allowed to pay all officers fees at twelve shillings and six pence per hundred; and by an act passed this present general 10 Geo. Ji assembly, the inhabitants of the county of Botetourt are cap. 40. allowed to pay all officers fees at the rate of eight shillings and four pence for every hundred weight of gross tobacco; and forasmuch as the inhabitants of the other counties, within this colony, are by law compellable to pay the fees due from them, to the respective officers of the said counties of Halifax, Bedford, Loudoun, Frederick, Augusta, Hampshire, Pittsylvania, and Botetourt, in tobacco or money at the rate of two pence per pound, altho' upon judgments obtained by them against the inhabitants of the before mentioned counties, they are obliged to receive money for the tobacco fees taxed upon such judgments, according to the rates by which the same are payable in the said counties respectively, which is unequal and unjust. officers of Tobacco II. BE it therefore enacted, by the Governor, Coun fees due to cil, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, several coun- and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, ties, payable That from and after the passing of this act, it shall and in money at may be lawful for all and every person or persons to certain rates; pay all fees due from them to the respective officers of the said counties of Halifax, Bedford, Loudoun, Frederick, Augusta, Hampshire, Pittsylvania, and Botetourt, in money for tobacco, according to the rates the inhabitants of the said counties respectively are by law allowed to pay the same; any law, to the contrary thereof, in any wise, notwithstanding. recovered by at the same II. And be it further enacted, by the authority afore party to be said, That when any inhabitant of the said counties of discharged Halifax, Bedford, Loudoun, Frederick, Augusta, rate as plain- Hampshire, Pittsylvania, or Botetourt, shall recover tiff is intitled in any action or suit brought by them against the into discharge habitants of any other county, the person against whom them. judgment shall be obtained in such action or suit, may pay and discharge all the tobacco fees, taxed upon the judgment in such action or suit, at the same rate the plaintiff in such action or suit is intitled to discharge the same; any law, custom, or usage, to the contrary thereof, in any wise, notwithstanding. க Taxes, or CHAP. XI. An act for laying a Public Levy. 1. BE it enacted, by the Governor, Council, and public levy, Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is For 1769. hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That nine pounds of tobacco be paid by every tithable, within this dominion, for the defraying and payment of the public charge of the country, being the public levy from the sixth day of November, one thousand severs hundred and sixty-six, to the seventh day of November, one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine; and that it be paid by the collectors of the several counties to the several persons and counties respectively, to whom it is proportioned by this general assembly, And if it shall happen that there shall be more tithables in any county than the present levy is laid on, then such county shall have credit for so much to the use of the county, and if fewer tithables in any county, then such county shall bear the loss. II. Provided always, That where any allowance is made in the book of proportions to any county, to be paid in the same county, no more per poll shall be collected from the tithables of such county, than will discharge the balance, after such allowance shall be deducted; and that every county court shall regulate the levy accordingly. ÎI. And be it further enacted, by the authority afore Sheriffs to said, That the sheriff of every county shall, at the court give bond, of his county, to be held in the months of February or March next, give bond and security for the due collection and payment of the public levy, now laid and assessed. And whereas there are several balances due to the public from the following counties, to wit, from the county of Accomack six thousand seven hundred and forty, from the county of the Isle of Wight ninetynine, from the county of Lancaster fourteen thousand one hundred and seventy-seven, from the county of Middlesex three hundred and fifteen, from the county of Northumberland six thousand and ninety-seven, from the county of Northampton fifteen thousand three hundred and forty-two, from the county of Richmond nine hundred and nineteen, from the county of Surry twelve thousand seven hundred and sixty-three, and from the county of Sussex seven thousand five hundred and twenty-six pounds of tobacco, as appears by the book of proportions. I IV. Be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That the sheriff of each of the said counties above mentioned, shall, where the depositum in his hands shall amount to one thousand pounds of tobacco, after giv-. ing one months notice in the Virginia Gazette, sell the respective quantities of tobacco levied in his county as a depositum, for the use of the public, to the highest bidder, at the court of his county, to be held in the months of July or August next, provided a court, be then held, if not, at the next succeeding court, on credit till the twenty-fifth day of October following; and shall take bond, with sufficient security, payable to the treasurer of this colony for the time being, and shall transmit the same to the said treasurer within one month after such sale: And if any such buyer shall neglect or refuse to pay the money, on the bonds aforesaid, when the same shall become due, it shall and may be lawful for the general court, or the court of the county where such buyer resides, on a motion to them made by the treasurer of this colony for the time being, to give judgment on the said bonds, and thereon to award execution; provided such buyer and his securities, his and their heirs, executors or administrators, have ten days previous notice: And where the depositum shall be less than one thousand pounds of tobacco, the sheriff shall in the month of July or August, at his county court-house, self such tobacco for ready money, and immediately pay the same to the treasurer aforesaid; which monies shall be accounted for by the said trea gurer to the general assembly, CHAP. XII, An Act for the better support of the contingent charges of government. I. WHEREAS it hath been judged expedient, in compliance with his majesty's requisition, made to this house of burgesses, in this present session of Assembly, to vote the sum of two thousand five hundred pounds sterling towards defraying the expences of running a line between this colony and the Cherokee country, Recital. and moreover to direct an application to be made to his majesty to permit copper money to be imported into this colony, to the value of two thousand five hundred pounds sterling, and pass for the greater conveniency of change in small payments: Be it therefore enacted, by the Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That as soon as his majesty's ultimate resolution shall be known, in regard to the boundary to be established between this colony and the Cherokee Indians, Robert Carter Nicholas, esq; Expences of treasurer of this colony, or the treasurer for the time negotiating being, appointed by or pursuant to act of assembly, for establish, shall, out of the public money in his hands, from time ing a boun- to time, pay to such person or persons as he shall be with Indians 2500 1. steri directed by warrant from the governor or commander dary, not exin chief for the time being, so much money as shall be ceeding necessary to defray the expences of the negociation, ling, to be and running the line aforesaid, so as the whole sum to paid by treabe paid on that occasion, doth not exceed the sum of surer. two thousand five hundred pounds sterling. II. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That if his majesty shall be graciously pleased to permit copper money to be brought in, and pass in this Copper me. colony, the said treasurer shall, at the public expence, ney to be cause so much of such copper to be purchased in Great- with his ma imported Britain as at the rates, at which it doth pass there, will jesty's peramount to two thousand five hundred pounds sterling, mission, and to be imported into this colony; and shall pay the same away at the British rates to any persons having legal demands against the treasury, in such proportions as is directed by an act of assembly, made in the first payable at year of the reign of king George the second, intituled certain rates. An act for the better regulating and ascertaining the current rates of silver coin within this dominion, and for preventing the evil practice of cutting foreign gold into pieces; or the said treasurer may exchange such copper at the rates aforesaid for other money, with any person desiring such exchange; and such copper money shall thereafter be current, and pass in payment in this colony, according to the directions and limitations in the said last mentioned act. And whereas, besides the money aforesaid, there are large sums of money due from the public to several persons in this colony, as appears by their different claims, settled and allowed by this present general assembly; and several other considerable sums will shortly become due to different persons for large quantities of tobacco lately damaged and destroyed in the public warehouses; which several sums of money, by reason of the deficiency of the public fund, cannot be raised by the duties already imposed; and it hath been found by experience that the taxes on process, ordinary licences, and wheel-carriages, and additional duty on slaves, the laws for imposing which will expire on the fourteenth day of February next, and a tax on tobacco made and shipped, are easy to the people, and not so burthensome as a poll tax: III. Be it therefore further enacted, That from and after the said fourteenth day of February next, there shall be levied and paid to our sovereign lord the king, Duties on slaves |