Recital of act 13 Car.

ed.

Oaths.

CHAP. XII.

An Act to explain an Act, intituled, Vestries appointed.

I. WHEREAS by an act of the General Assembly made in the thirteenth year of the reign of his majesty king Charles the second, intituled, Vestries appointed, it is enacted, That twelve of the most able men of each parish be by the major part of the said parish chosen to be a vestry, out of which number the minister and vestry to make choice of two churchwardens yearly, as also in case of the death of any vestryman, or his departure out of the parish, that the said minister and vestry make choice of another to supply his room.

Vestrymen II. And whereas it is doubted whether any vestrymay resign. man chosen pursuant to the said act can resign his Vacancy, office; for explaining whereof, Be it enacted, by the how suppliLieutenant-Governor, Council and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That it shall and may be lawful to and for any vestryman to resign his place in the vestry, and for the remaining vestryman to elect and choose another vestryman in the room of such vestryman so resigning, and that every vestryman hereafter to be elected, instead of the oaths appointed to be taken by the said act shall before he be admitted to act as a vestryman, take the oaths appointed by act of parliament to be taken, instead of the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, and take and subscribe the oath appointed to be taken by an act of parliament made in the first year of the reign of his late majesty's king George the first, intituled, An Act for the further security of his majesty's person and government, and the succession to the crown in the heirs of the late Princess Sophia, being protestants, and for extinguishing the hopes of the pretended Prince of Wales, and his open and secret abettors, and repeat and subscribe the test in the court of the county where he shall reside, and shall also subscribe in vestry to be conformable to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, any thing in the said before mentioned act to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

CHAP. XIII.

An Act for further continuing certain Acts of Assembly therein mentioned.

ther continu

J. WHEREAS by an act of assembly made in the Acts impostwenty-seventh year of his present majesty's reign, ing duties on intituled, An Act for further continuing certain acts liquors furof assembly therein mentioned, the duties of two pence ed. per gallon upon rum, brandy, distilled spirits and wine, and one penny upon cyder, beer, or ale, and an additional duty of one penny per gallon upon rum, brandy, spirits and wine, were continued for three years, which will expire on the tenth day of June, one thousand seven hundred and fifty eight, and the public debts making it necessary that the said duties should be further continued: 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 said duties of two pence per gallon upon rum, brandy, spirits and wine, and one penny upon cyder, beer or ale, and the said additional duty of one penny per gallon upon rum, brandy, spirits and wine, shall remain and continue to be raised, levied, collected, paid and applied, in the same manner and to the uses, intents and purposes, as by the herein before recited act of assembly is directed, from and after the expiration thereof as aforesaid, for and during the term of three years from thence next following and no longer.

Other duties,

11. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That one other duty of one penny per gallon up- for benefit of on rum, brandy and other distilled spirits, and wine, William and imported or brought into this colony, laid by an act of Mary colassembly, passed in the nineteenth year of his present lege continumajesty's reign, intituled, An Act for reducing the Laws made for laying a Duty on Liquors into one act of assembly, and appropriated to the use of the College of William and Mary, for and during the term of eleven years, which will expire on the tenth day of June, one thousand seven hundred and fifty eight, shall remain and continue to be raised, levied, collected, paid and applied, in the same manner, and to the use, intent and purpose, as by the said last recited act is di

rected, from and after the expiration thereof as aforesaid, for and dur the term of three years, from thence next following, and no longer.

Act laying

additional

ed.

CHAP. XIV.

An Act for continuing the Act, intituled, An Act for laying an additional Duty on Rum, and other distilled Spirits, not being of the Produce of His Majesty's Sugar Islands.

I. WHEREAS by one act of assembly made in the twenty-eight year of his present majesty's reign, intituled, An Act for laying an additional Duty on Rum, and other distilled Spirits, not being of the produce of his majesty's sugar islands, an additional duty of four duty on spi- pence per gallon was laid on all such liquors importrits centinued into this colony by land or water, from any port or place whatsoever, except directly from Great-Britain, or some of his majesty's sugar colonies which will expire on the first day of August, one thousand seven hundred and fifty eight, and it being found necessary that the same should be further continued: 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 said recited act shall continue and be in force from and after the expiration thereof, for and during the term of three years from thence next following, and no lon

ger.

CHAP. XV.

An Act for paying the Burgesses wages in money for this present Session of Assembly.

I. WHEREAS by an act of assembly, made in the Recital of fourth year of the reign of her late majesty queen Anne, act of Anne, intituled, An Act for regulating the election of Burgesses, for settling their privileges, and ascertaining their allowance, it is amongst other things enacted, That the allowance for burgesses attending the general assembly should be as followeth, that is to say: For every burgess coming by land one hundred and thirty pounds of tobacco, and cask, a day, besides the necessary charge of ferriage; and for every burgess who could not come to the general assembly otherwise than by water one hundred and twenty pounds of tobacco, and cask, a day, to be paid them by the county for which they serve respectively, besides an allowance for divers days of travelling to and from the general assembly, as in the said act is particularly mens tioned. And whereas by one other act of assembly, made in the third and fourth years of the reign of his present majesty, intituled, An Act for the better regulating the payment of the Burgesses wages, it is amongst other things enacted, That when any session of assembly should be thereafter held, and upon examination of the treasurer's accounts, it should appear that there are monies sufficient in his hands to discharge all the debts due from the public, together with the burgesses wages, and the salaries and allowances to the respective officers of the general assembly, leaving and reserving in the hands of the said treasurer, over and above the said payments, a balance of one thousand five hundred pounds at the least; then every burgess elected and serving for any county or corporation shall be paid out of the public money the sum of ten shillings for each day he should serve in the house of burgesses, and for the days of coming to and returning from the general assembly according to the first recited act, in lieu of all other demands for that service, with further allowance to the burgesses for Accomack and Northampton, and others coming to the general assembly by water, as in the said act is particularly directed.

1

Burgesses'

payable.

II. And whereas by reason of the many large dewages when mands upon the treasury there is not sufficient in the hands of the treasurer, at this time, to pay the wages of the burgesses, for this present session, in money, according to the letter of the last recited act; but as much as the payment of the said wages in money for this present session of assembly will be a great ease to the people, and enable them to pay the taxes necessary for carrying on the present war: Be it 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 burgesses wages for this present session of assembly, shall be paid by the treasurer on the thirtieth day of April next, out of the public monis in his hands, according to the directions and regulations in the said last recited act mentioned, any thing in the said act to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.

Recital of charter of

city of Williamsburg.

CHAP. XVI.

An Act to enlarge the power of the Corporations of the City of Williamsburg and Borough of Norfolk, and for other purposes therein mentioned.

1. WHEREAS his late majesty, king George the first, of blessed memory, by his royal charter, bearing date under the seal of this colony, the twenty eighth day of July, in the eighth year of his reign, was graciously pleased to grant to the inhabitants of Williamsburg that the same should be a city incorporate, consisting of a mayor, recorder, six aldermen, and twelve common council men; and was further pleased (amongst other things) to give and grant to the said mayor, recorder, aldermen, and common council men of the said city, and to their successors for ever, fuil and free power and authority to have, hold, and keep two markets weekly, in some convenient place in the said city, to be by them appointed, that is to say, on every Wed