negroes, liquors and other goods and merchandizes, &c. An Act to ascertain the manner and form of electing members to represent the inhabitants, &c. An additional Act, &c. relating to the payment of the Lords rents, and the sale of their lands. We can by no means consent to either of these three Acts, and we do therefore repeal all and every one of the three aforesaid Acts, and we do hereby declare all and every one of the three above mentioned Acts, and every matter and clause therein contained to be null and void, to all intents and purposes whatsoever. Given under our hunds and the great seal of our Province, July 24, 1719. CARTERET, Palatine, BERTIE for Duke of Beauford, M. ASHLEY, J. COLLETON, A. D. 1719. No. 395. No. 393. AN ADDITIONAL ACT to the Act now in force relating to the Fortifications in Charlestown. (Ratified March 20, 1718-9. See last volume.) AN ACT for continuing the present Assembly one month longer. (Ratified February 20, 1718-9. Expired. The original not now to be found.) No. 396. No. 397. AN ACT FOR RAISING THE SUM OF SEVENTY THOUSAND POUNDS, ON WHEREAS, the contingent charges of the Publick for this present year, one thousand seven hundred and eighteen, in fitting out several expeditions against the pyrates who frequently infested this coast and interrupted the trade of this Province, have been very great and unexpected, and do require a speedy payment; and whereas, by an Act of General Assembly intituled an Act to continue the Garrison at the Savannah Town, and the two Scout Boats appointed to be placed at the Southward, and to discharge the officers and soldiers who were employed in the late expedition to the Creek Indians, and to make provision for the charges, it was enacted that the commissioners therein named for defraying the charges aforesaid, and other charges of the publick mentioned in the said Act, should issue out and draw so many orders under their hands and seals, upon the publick Receiver of this Province for the time being, as would discharge the same, which orders so drawn did amount in the whole to the sum of eight thousand two hundred seventy-eight pounds, two shillings and four pence; and to the intent that the same orders might be sunk and called in with all convenient speed, after the making the said Act, the said publick Receiver was required to pay off and discharge the No. 398.. Preamble. A. D. 1719. said orders out of the additional duties to be paid into the publick treasury laid on all negroes, liquors, goods and merchandizes, &c. according to the directions of an Act passed for that purpose on the eleventh day of December, one thousand seven hundred and seventeen: And whereas, divers other orders for debts contracted by the publick under their emergencies, have been drawn by the General Assembly, and others by them thereto authorized, from time to time, on the said publick Receiver, which were to be paid off by the said publick Receiver out of the duties laid on liquors, goods and merchandizes by another Act of the General Assembly of this Province, intituled an Act for laying an imposition on Liquors, Goods and other Merchandizes, imported into and exported out of this Province, for the raising of a fund of money towards defraying the publick charges and expenses of the Government, ratified the thirtieth day of June, one thousand seven hundred and sixteen: And whereas, his Majesty King George was pleased to signify his order to have the said duty Acts repealed, by reason whereof the methods resorted to by the said General Assembly for sinking the said orders have been entirely frustrated, and the persons who have taken the said orders will become great sufferers unless some speedy measures be taken for giving some currency to the same till some effectual methods are taken for the calling in and sinking thereof, as by this Act hereafter is mentioned and intended: And whereas, the great and unexpected charges accruing to the publick this present year one thousand seven hundred and eighteen, by the interruption given to the currency of the said orders, and the several expeditions against the pyrates as aforesaid, are become so burthensome, that a present provision cannot be made by a tax forthwith to be raised on the inhabitants, for discharging the same debts and orders, without allowing some further time for sinking the bills of credit, amounting to thirty thousand pounds, which were intended to be sunk by the several Acts made and ratified for that purpose the thirtieth of June, one thousand seven hundred and sixteen, and the eleventh December, one thousand seven hundred and seventeen: And whereas, the faith, interest and welfare of the publick is equally concerned and engaged, as well for making good the said orders and the present payment of the said extraordinary, unexpected and contingent charges, according to the resolutions and assurances of the said General Assembly, heretofore made in that behalf; I. Be it therefore enacted, by his Excellency John Lord Carteret, Palatine, and the rest of the true and absolute Lords and Proprietors of this Province, by and with the advice and consent of the rest of the members of the General Assembly, now met at Charlestown for the South and West Orders drawn part of this Province, and by the authority of the same, That all orders on the publick which now are extant, already drawn by any General Assembly of this Receiver or Province, and all salaries now due by virtue of any law or laws, ordinance in pursuance of or ordinances of the same, and all other orders which shall hereafter be any former or drawn by any person or persons impowered by virtue of this Act to draw be current in such orders on the publick Receiver of this Province for the time being, payment to the or on the Commissioners for receiving the publick taxes hereinafter named, Receiver. be and are hereby declared to be current in payment to the said publick Receiver and the said Commissioners of the tax. Commissioners, of this Act, to and levied. II. And to the intent that all and singular the said orders may be called Tax of £70,000 in again and sunk with all convenient speed, and also that the said bills of to be imposed credit amounting to thirty thousand pounds, which were intended to be paid in and sunk this present year, one thousand seven hundred and eighteen, by the aforesaid Act of the eleventh of December, one thousand seven hundred and seventeen, may be likewise called in and cancelled in the commis as short a time as the present emergencies of the Province will possibly A. D. 1719. admit of, and that a fund may be appropriated for that purpose; Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That a Tax or Sum of Seventy Thousand Pounds be equally and indifferently raised, imposed and levied, upon the lands and negroes of the several inhabitants, planters and others, residing, living or otherwise interested within the several counties of all that part of the Province that lies south and west of Cape Fear, and upon the estates, real and personal, stocks and abilities, of the several merchants and other inhabitants living and residing within the limits of the town plot of Charlestown, at such days and times, and after such manner and form, and by such persons as are hereafter mentioned and directed: That is to To be paid by say-the sum of thirty-five thousand pounds, part of the aforesaid tax of installments to seventy thousand pounds hereby first intended to be raised, shall be asses- sioners. sed, levied, and paid to the commissioners hereinafter for that purpose named, on or before the second Tuesday in May, which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and nineteen; and the further sum of fifteen thousand pounds, other part of the aforesaid sum of seventy thousand pounds, on or before the second Tuesday in March, which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and nineteen; and the further sum of ten thousand pounds, other part of the aforesaid sum of seventy thousand pounds, on the second Tuesday in March, which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty; and the further sum of ten thousand pounds on the second Tuesday in March, which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty-one. Which said sum of thirty-five thousand pounds, hereby first intended to be raised, shall be applied to the sinking and cancelling the orders issued and to be issued as aforesaid; and the other three subsequent payments of fifteen thousand pounds, ten thousand pounds, and ten thousand pounds, for the years one thousand seven hundred and nineteen, one thousand seven hundred and twenty, and one thousand seven hundred and twenty-one, for and towards cancelling and sinking the residue and remainder of the said thirty thousand pounds in bills of credit, as hereinafter is mentioned, and cancelling the sum of five thousand pounds of orders that shall remain uncancelled by the first tax of thirty-five thousand pounds, as is hereinafter directed. Inquisitors III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That for. the several parishes in this Province, the several persons hereinafter Inquisiers or named, viz: for the parish of St. Philip's, Charlestown, within the town appointed. plot, Mr. Elisha Prioleau, Mr. Richard Wigg, and Mr. Joseph Wragg, and for that part without the limits of the said town plott, upon the Neck, in the said parish, Mr. John Pendarvis and Mr. Charles Burnham; for Christ Church parish, Mr. Thomas Barksdale, Mr. Thomas Boon, and Mr. John Vanderhorst; for St. Thomas and St. Dennis, Capt. Robert King, Mr. Nathaniel Ford, Mr. John Akins, Mr. Josiah Dupree, and Mr. Daniel Hugier; for the parish of St. John's, Mr. Gabriel Marion, Mr. Daniel Ravenel, and Mr. John Harleston; for the parish of St. James, Goose Creek, Major Thomas Smith, Mr. Robert Howes, Mr. Isaac Porcher, Mr. John Parker, and Mr. Benjamin Gibbes; for the parish of St. Andrew's, Mr. Champernown Elliott and Mr. William Fuller, for the south side of Ashley river, and for the north side of Ashley river, Mr. Richard Butler and Mr. James Boswood, and for the head of Ashley river, Mr. William Wallis and Mr. Roger Saunders; for James Island, Mr. William Wilkins and Mr. John Hern; and for the several parishes in Colleton county, viz. for John's Island, Colonel John Fenwick, Mr. Hugh Hext, Mr. Samuel Jones; for Wadmelaw Island, Mr. William Williams Inquisitors to take an account A. D. 1719. and Mr. Samuel Underwood; for Edisto Island, Mr. Joseph Sealy and Mr. Lawrence Dennis; for Stono, Mr. Richard Capers and Capt. Thos. Elliott; for the east side of Pon-pon or South Edisto river, Col. Abraham Eve and Capt. William Scott; for the parish of St. Bartholomew, viz. for the west side of South Edisto river, Capt. John Jackson and Mr. Robert Cox; for Ashepoo, Mr. Robert Seabrook, Mr. William Bellinger and Mr. John Edwards; for Combahee and Chehaw, Capt. John Palmer and Capt. Rowland Evans; for the parish of St. James Santee, in Craven county, Mr. Peter Robert, Mr. Elias Horey and Mr. Isaac LeGrand Donnerville; for English Santee, Capt. Benjamin Schenckingh and Capt. John Cantey; for Wineau, Capt. Robert Scriven and Mr. Samuel Miller; for the parish of St. Helen's in Granville county, Mr. Robert Wilkenson, Mr. Richard Reynolds, and Capt. John Beamor-be and are hereby appointed Inquirers and Inquisitors, and are hereby impowered and required to take and make an account in writing, on or before the second Tuesday in March next, and on every first Tuesday in January yearly and every year during the continuance of this Act, of all and every the inhabitants of this Province, within their several parishes or precincts, upon their corporal oaths, to be taken on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, what quantity of lands any person or persons are any wise possessed of, interested in or entitled unto: that is to say, the number of acres in each distinct tract, according to their several plots and grants or title deeds, whereby they hold the same, either in the parish where they live or in any other part of the said Province, either in his or their own right, or as executor or administrator, guardian or attorney to, or in trust for, any other person or persons whatsoever. And the inquisitors aforesaid are hereby also impowered and required to inquire of all and every the persons aforesaid, what number of negroe, mustee, mulatto and Indian slaves, men, women and children, they are any wise possessed of, interested in, or entitled unto, within the said several parishes where they respectively live, or elsewhere in any other part of the Province aforesaid, either in their own right, or as executor, administrator, guardian, trustee or attorney to or for any other person or persons whatsoever; and to return their several accounts of the said lands, negroe, mustee, mulatto and Indian slaves, so taken, to the Assessors hereinafter for that purpose named, at such days, times and places, as hereinafter is limited. and directed. on oath of real estate and slaves. of Charleston to IV. And whereas, the several estates, interests and effects of the merReal and per- chants and other inhabitants of Charlestown consist chiefly in town lots, sonal estates of and the messuages, tenements, buildings and improvements thereon, and the inhabitants also in goods, wares and merchandizes, ready money, &c., whereby, accordbe assessed. ing to the aforegoing method for the raising the said tax on lands and negroes only, the said merchants and other inhabitants of Charlestown would be in a great measure exempted from paying their proportionable part of the said tax; Be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the sum of eleven thousand six hundred sixty-six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence, part of the aforesaid whole tax or sum of seventy thousand pounds, be equally and indifferently imposed, levied and raised, on the real and personal estates, stocks and abilities, of the several merTax to be lev- chants and other inhabitants living or residing within the limits of the town plot of Charlestown aforesaid, that is to say the sum of five thousand periods of time. eight hundred thirty-three pounds six shillings and eight pence, being part of the aforesaid sum of eleven thousand six hundred sixty-six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence, to be levyed and raised on or before the second Tuesday in May, which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and nineteen-the sum of two thousand five hundred ied at certain pounds, other part of the aforesaid sum of eleven thousand six hundred A. D. 1719. sixty-six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence, on or before the second Tuesday in March, which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and nineteen; the further sum of one thousand six hundred sixty-six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence, other part of the aforesaid sum of eleven thousand six hundred and sixty-six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence, on the second Tuesday in March which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty; and the further sum of one thousand six hundred sixty-six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence, residue of the aforesaid sum of eleven thousand six hundred and sixty-six pounds thirteen shillings and four pence, on the second Tuesday in March which shall be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twenty-one. And the inquisitors aforesaid for the parish of St. Philip's Charlestown, for their better direction in the premi ses, are hereby directed and ordered to inquire into and take an account in writing of all such real and personal estates, negroes, stocks and abilities of the said merchants and other inhabitants living and residing within the limits of the said town plot of Charlestown, which they shall be possessed of, interested in or entitled unto, either in their own right or in the right of any other person as aforesaid, within the limits of the said town plot, or in or upon Ashley river and Cooper river, or other creeks or rivers within Charlestown Barr, and the same accounts to return to the Assessors, at the same days and times in this Act given to the other inquisitors; and that all and every merchant or other inhabitant of Charlestown, being possessed of any lands or negroes within or without the said limits, the same shall be inquired of by the said inquisitors of Charlestown: Provided always, Goods held on nevertheless, that nothing herein before contained shall extend or be con- consignment strued to give the said inquisitors or assessors any power or authority to take an account of, rate or assess, any such goods, wares or merchandizes, as shall be consigned to the merchants or factors in this Province immediately from the merchants of Great Britain and Ireland or elsewhere, to dispose of as factors only, and except as to the effects of transient persons, who have not resided within this Province for three months before such inquisition shall begin to be made. not to be rated or taxed. stock of store V. And whereas, divers persons do in several parts of this Province keep publick storehouses, and in the same do vend great quantities of, Inquisitors to goods and merchandizes; Be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, use means to That during the continuance of this Act, some one or more of the inquis- ascertain the itors of such parish or precinct within this Province wheresoever any keepers to be such storehouse is, and wherein such goods and merchandizes are sold, rated and shall be and he and they are hereby impowered to pursue such ways and taxed. methods for the inquiring into and taking an account of such storekeepers as is directed by this Act for the inquisitors of Charlestown, and shall return the same to the assessors, who shall assess the said store-keepers after the same manner and in the same proportion as the same shall be assessed on the estates of the inhabitants of Charlestown, and if the said store-keepers find themselves overrated they shall have the like remedy. And the sums so assessed shall be paid unto the commissioners for receiving the tax, and shall remain in their hands until the same shall be drawn out from thence by order of the General Assembly; and the said storekeepers shall be subject to the same penalties in case they refuse to give in their accounts or make other default, as the inhabitants of Charlestown are subject unto by this Act. VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every inquisitor, or one of them, without the said limits of Charlestown, shall, VOL. III.-10. |