Proprietors to build a

such tobacco; and if the inspectors shall refuse or fail to pay the same accordingly, it shall be lawful for the court of the county where the warehouse shall lie, upon a motion to them made, by such proprietor, to enter up judgment for such valuation against the inspectors so refusing or failing, and ther on to award execution. Provided, That the inspectors have ten days previous notice of such motion.

VI. And whereas the public has sustained great losses, by means of the accidental burning of sundry brick square, warehouses appointed for the inspection of tobacco; for convenience of burn- and there being reason to suspect that such fires have, ing tobacco. for the most part, happened from the careless burning

to burn re

of refused tobacco. and from fires made by persons coming to the warehouses; for remedy whereof, Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That within three months after the passing of this act, there shall be built by the proprietor in some proper place, convenient to every separate inspection, one brick square or funnel, six feet at least above ground, and four feet diameter, with a proper arch at the bottom of the same, for the burning of all the tobacco refused at the said inspection: And if the proprietor shall refuse to build the same, then the court of the county wherein such warehouse shall lie, shall build, at the charge of the said county, such square or funnel, and deduct the same out of the rent arising from the said warehouse.

Penalty on VII. And be it further enacted, That the inspectors inspectors failing or neglecting to see all the refused tobacco put neglecting into the said brick funnels or squares, and carefully fused tobac- burnt, shall forfeit and pay for every such neglect, the sum of ten shillings, to be recovered before any justice of the peace of the county wherein such warehouse shall lie, by the informer, for his own use.

Co.

The penalty on persons

VIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesard, That if any person shall hereafter make any fire within any public warehous, or without doors near making fires to such house, other than in such squares or funnels, in or near the such person, if a freeman, shall, for every such of public warehouse. fence, forfeit and pay the sum of ten shillings, to be recovered before any justice of the peace of the county wherein such offence shall be committed, by the informer, for his own use; and if a servant or slave, be or she shall, by order of any justice within such county receive on his or her bare back, ten lashes for every such offence.

view after

IX. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- Justices no said. That if any person, intituled to receive a hogs. power to head of tobacco by virtue of any inspector's note, or twelve receipt, and refusing to accept of the tobacco offered months from or tendered in payment, shall not make application the date of to the justices, according to the directions of the said the note. act, within twelve months after the date of such note, or receipt, such justices, after the expiration of that time, shall not have power to view and examine such tobacco, and cause it to be burnt; any thing in the said act, or in any other act contained, to the contrary notwithstanding.

X. And be it further enacted, by the authority afore- of what date said, That no crop notes or receipts, of an older date notes are a than twelve months, shall be a lawful tender in dis- legal tender, charge of any tobacco debt whatever, and that where and if tobac co destroyed any warehouse shall happen to be burnt, or the topaid for by bacco therein otherwise destroyed, the loss sustained the public thereby shall not be made good, and repaired, by the General Assembly, to the persons injured, where the notes or receipts for the tobacco, burnt or destroyed in such warehouse shall be of an older date than twelve months; any former law to the contrary notwithstanding.

CHAP. VI.

An Act for employing and better maintain- Edit. 1769, ing the Poor.

p. 321.

I. WHEREAS the number of poor people hath of Preamble. late years much increased throughout this colony, and it will be the most proper method for their maintenance, and for the prevention of great mischiefs arising from such numbers of unemployed poor, to provide houses for their reception and employment,

II. BE it therefore enacted by the Lieutenant Govern- Vestry to or, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General As- cause a sembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the workhouse same, That it shall and may be lawful for the vestry and have to be built, of every parish in this colony, to order and cause to

power to

rent a tract

of land, whereon

such houses shall stand.

purchase or be erected, purchased, or hired, one or more house or houses within their parish, for the lodging, maintaining, and employing of all such poor people as shall be upon the parish, or who shall desire relief from the vestry or churchwardens; and to employ all such poor persons, in such works as shall be directed by the said vestry, or churchwardens; and to take and apply the benefit of their labor, for and towards their maintenance and support, and to provide cotton, hemp, flax, or any other necessary materials, implements, or things, for setting the said poor to work: And where any parish shall be too small to purchase, erect, or hire such house, or houses, it shall and may be lawful for the vestries of any two or more of such parishes, lying, adjoining, or convenient to each other, to unite in purchasing, erecting, or hiring such house or houses, for the reception and employment of the poor of their respective parishes: And the said vestry, or vestries, shall have power to purchase or rent a tract of land, whereon the said house or houses shall stand, or be erected, or convenient thereto, not exceeding one hundred acres, for the use of the said poor; and to levy a reasonable allowance in their pa rish levies, for the education of such poor children as shall be placed in the said house, or houses, until they shall be bound out according to law.

Proviso.

Churchwar

Workhouses.

III. Provided always, That no poor person shall gain or acquire a settlement, so as to become chargeable to the parish whither he or she shall be removed or placed, by virtue of this act, but shall be deemed a resident, and to belong to the parish from whence he or she was removed.

IV. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforePS power said, That the churchwardens of every parish, or any tobond bug- one of them, shall have power and authority to order the constables in their parish, or such other officer as they shall appoint for that purpose, to convey all and every person and persons who shall be found begging in their parish, to the house or houses so to be provided for the reception of the poor, there to be employed for the space of twenty days, or a less time, in such works and labours as the said churchwardens, or either of them, shall adjudge them able to perform, and to apply the profits of such beggar's labor towards his or her maintenance.

rules relat

V. And be it further enacted, by the authority afore- Vestry pow said, That the vestry of every parish wherein any er to ordain house, or houses, for the reception of the poor shall ing to the be, shall have power and authority to make and or- poor, sent to dain proper rules and orders, for, and concerning the such workwork, employment, and correction, of such poor per- houses. sons as shall be placed or sent there, pursuant to this act, and to contract with, and appoint one or more fit person or persons to keep the said house, or houses, and to oversee the poor, belonging, or sent to such house, or houses, which person or persons, so to be appointed, shall have full power to set all such poor persons as shall be placed or sent there, to work, and labor, according to their several abilities, and the rules and orders of the vestry and churchwardens, and to inflict corporal punishment on such persons, under his or their care and management, who will not conform themselves to the said rules and orders, or who shall behave refractorily, not exceeding ten lashes at one time, or for one offence; and the person or persons so to be appointed shall annually, at the laying of the parish levy, or, when thereto required, render a true aceount to the vestry, of the poor under his or their care, and of the profits arising from their labor, and how the same have been disposed of; and, moreover, shall be liable to be displaced by the vestry when they shall think fit.

tinue at any

this act.

VI. And be it further enacted, by the authority afore- Poor refussaid, That if any poor person shall refuse to be placed ing to conor to continue at any house, or houses, to be appoint- house aped for the reception of the poor, in pursuance of this pointed in act, he or she so refusing, shall in no wise be entitled pursuance of to ask, demand, or receive any relief, or sum or sums of money, or tobacco, from the vestry or churchwardens of his or her parish, except the vestry or churchwardens, by reason of his or her sickness, or old age, shall adjudge them incapable of labor, and order other

wise.

the

poor.

VII. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- Churchwarsaid, That the churchwardens of every parish shall dens to keep keep a book, wherein the names of all persons who a register of receive relief from the parish shall be registered, with the time they were admitted on the parish, and the occasion of such admittance, which book shall be by them produced to the vestry, at the laying of the parish levy, or as often as the said vestry shall think

Poor to wear a badge.

Public act.

convenient, and the names of such poor persons shall be called over, and the reasons of their receiving relief examined, and such of the said poor shall then be continued on the parish, or discharged therefrom, as the said vestry shall direct. And that the poor of every parish may be the better known,

Vili. Be it further enacted, by the authority afore said, That every person who shall receive relief from the parish, and be sent to the said house, or houses, shall, upon the shoulder of the right sleeve of his or her uppermost garment, in an open and visible manner, wear a badge, with the name of the parish to which he or she belongs, cut either in blue, red, or green cloth, as the vestry or churchwardens shall direct; and if any poor person shall neglect or refuse to wear such badge, the vestry or churchwardens of such parish may punish such offence, either by ordering his or her allowance to be abridged, suspended, or withdrawn, or the offender to be whipped, not exceeding five lashes for one offence, or at one time; and if any person, not entitled to relief as aforesaid, shall presume to wear such badge, he or she so offending shall, in like manner, be whipped for every such offence, by order of any justice of the peace, unless he or she shall immediately pay down the sum of ten shillings to the churchwardens, for the use of the poor of that parish where the offence shall be committed.

IX. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That this act shall be takea and allowed in all courts within this colony as a public act, without specially pleading the same.

Edit. 1769,

p. 323.

Preamble.

CHAP. VII.

An Act to amend an act, intituled, An Act declaring the laws concerning executions, and for the relief of insolvent debtors; and for other purposes therein mentioned.

I. WHEREAS by an act of General Assembly, made in the twenty second year of the reign of his