with the consent and approbation of any court of record within this colony, although such person be within the age of twenty one years at the time of making his indenture, shall be obliged to serve the full time in such indenture contained, as amply and largely to every intent, as if such apprentice were of full age at the time of making the same.

without

clergy.

XXVIII. And be it further enacted, by the authority Stealing aforesaid, That if any person or persons shall steal slaves felony any negroe, mulattoe, or Indian slave, whatsoever, out of, or from the possession of the owner or overseer of such slave, the person or persons so offending, shall be, and are hereby declared to be felons, and shall suffer death, without benefit of clergy.

clause.

XXIX. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That all and every other act and acts, clause Repealing and clauses, heretofore made, for or concerning any matter or thing within the purview of this act, shall be, and are hereby repealed.

CHAP. VIII.

An Act for paying the ministers of the parishes of Frederick, in the county of Fre derick, and of Augusta in the county of Augusta, and Hampshire, in the county of Hampshire, one hundred pounds annually, instead of the salaries now allowed.

I. WHEREAS by one act of the General Assem- Commutably made in the twenty second year of the reign of his tion of min present majesty, intituled, An act for the support of isters salathe clergy, and for the regular collecting and paying ries, in Fredthe parish levies, it is enacted, that every minister erick. AuHampshire. preferred to, or received into any parish within this gusta, and dominion, shall have and receive an annual salary of sixteen thousand pounds of tobacco, and cask, with an allowance of four per cent for shrinkage; to be levied, W w-Vol. 6.

assessed, collected, and paid in manner in the said act directed. And whereas by one other act of General Assembly, made in the twelfth year of the reign of his present majesty, intituled, An act for erecting two new counties and parishes, and granting certain encouragements to the inhabitants thereof, it is enacted, for the more easy payment of all levies, secretary's, clerks, sheriffs, and other officers fees, by the inhabitants of the new counties of Frederick and Augusta, that the said levies and fees shall and may be paid in money, for tobacco, at three farthings per pound, without any deduction: By virtue of which last mentioned act, the salaries of the ministers of the parish of Frederick, in the county of Frederick, and of the parish of Augusta, in the county of Augusta, have been, and are levied and paid in money, for tobacco, at three farthings per pound, which are not sufficient for the ministers of the said parishes of Frederick and Augusta.

II. 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 from and after the passing of this act, the vestries of the parishes of Frederick and Augusta, and of Hampshire when the same shall take place, at the time of laying their respective levies shall, and they are hereby authorised and required to levy and assess upon the tithable persons in their respective parishes, an annual salary of one hundred pounds for the ministers of the said parishes. respectively, with any allowance of six per cent. for collecting the said salary; to be collected, levied, distrained for, and paid in the manner directed by the first above mentioned act, instead of, and in full compensation for the said salary of sixteen thousand pounds of tobacco and cask, and if the vestry of either of the said parishes, shall neglect or refuse to levy the said one hundred pounds, in such case all the vestrymen of the parish neglecting or refusing shall be liable to the action of the minister injured thereby, his executors, or administrators, for all damages, which he shall sustain by occasion of such refusal or neglect.

CHAP. IX.

An Act for continuing an act, intituled,
An Act for regulating the practice of

attornies.

I. WHEREAS the act of Assembly made in the twenty second year of the reign of his present majesty, intituled, An act for regulating the practice of attornies, which will expire at the end of this session of Assembly hath been found to answer the ends thereby intended, and it is necessary the same should be continued with amendments.

11. 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 sum, That the said recited act of Assembly, intituled, An act for regulating the practice of attornies, shall continue and be in force, from and after the end of this session of Assembly, for and during the term of three years, and from thence to the end of the next session of Assembly. And for preventing lawyers taking unreasonable and exorbitant fees, and for the more equal settlement of the same.

settled.

¡¡¡. Be it jurther enacted, by the authority aforesaid, Lawyers fees That during the continuance of the said recited act, the lawyers in this colony shall not, directly, or indirectly, or by any device, way, or means whatsoever, exact, take, or receive, any greater or other fees or reward, for the following services, than what are herein particularly mentioned and expressed, that is to say, lawyers practising in the general court, may demand and receive, for an opinion or advice where no suit is brought, one pound one shilling and six pence; in any suit at common law, other than the actions herein after mentioned, fifty shillings; in all chancery suits, or real, mixt, or personal actions, where the title or bounds of land shall or may come in question, five pounds: And lawyers practising in the county courts, and other inferior courts, for services to be by them done in such courts, may demand for an opinion or advice, ten shillings; in any suit at common law, other than the actions hereafter mentioned, or

by petition, fifteen shillings; in all chancery suits, or
real, mixt, or personal actions, thirty shillings; on a
petition for a small debt, seven shillings and six pence:
And any lawyer, for attending a survey in the coun-
try, for every day he shall attend, may demand one
pound one shilling and six pence. And every lawyer
exacting, taking, receiving, or demanding any great-
er fee, or other reward, for any of the above services,
shall forfeit and pay fifty pounds for every offence,
one half to our sovereign lord the king, his heirs and
successors, for and towards the better support of this
government, and the contingent charges thereof, and
the other half to the informer, to be recovered by ac-
tion of debt or information, in any court of record in
this colony.

p. 316.

CHAP. X.

Edit. 1769, An Act for allowing the inhabitants of the counties of Halifax, Hampshire, and Bedford, to discharge their public dues and officers fees in money instead of to

Hampshire,

bacco.

Officers' fees I. FOR the more easy payment of all levies, se-
in Halifax,
cretary's, clerks, and other officer's fees, by the inha-
and Bedford, bitants of the counties of Halifax, Bedford, and Hamp-
payable in shire, who make little or no tobacco.
money.

II. BE it enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor, Coun-
cil and Burgesses of this present General Assembly, and
it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That
the said levies and fees, may be paid in money for to-
bacco, to wit, for the counties of Halifax and Bedford,
at twelve shillings and six pence per hundred, on the
nett tobacco; and for the county of Hampshire, on the
gross tobacco, three farthings per pound, without any
deduction, in the same manner as the inhabitants of the
counties of Frederick and Augusta, are now by law
impowered to do.

1

CHAP. XI.

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

ney.

1. WHEREAS by one act of Assembly made in the third and fourth years of the reign of his present Burgesses majesty, intituled, An act for the better regulating the wages payapayment of the Burgesses wages, it is amongst other ble in mothings enacted, that when any session of Assembly should be thereafter held, and upon examination of the treasurer's account it should appear, that there are monies sufficient, in his hands, to discharge all the money debts, together with the Burgesses wages, and the salaries and allowances to the respective officers of the General Assembly, saving and reserving in the hands of the treasurer, over and above the said payment, a ballance of one thousand five hundred pounds, at the least, then every Burgess elected and serving for a county or corporation within this dominion, should be paid out of the said public money, the sum of ten shillings for each day he should serve in the house of Burgesses, with suchfurther allowances, and under such restrictions and regulations as in the said act is at large directed.

II. And whereas the wages of the Burgesses for this present session cannot be discharged in money, according to the letter of the said act, but it is likely there will soon be money sufficient in the hands of the treasurer; and forasmuch as the payment of the Burgesses wages in money, for this present session, will be a great ease to the poorer sort of people, by lessening the levy by the poll, 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 Burgesses wages for this present session of Assembly, shall be paid by the treasurer, on the first day of November, iu the year of our lord, one thousand seven hundred and fifty four, out of the public monies then in his hands, according to the directions and regulations in the said recited act mentioned, any thing in the said act to the contrary thereof, in anywise notwithstanding.