126

One or two

honeft men to be chofen by

cach town to

view and feal

leather.

Leather of

not well

wrought, to be feized.

Leather.

in Leather, within their Township, who fhall be fworn to a faithful difcharge of their Truft, who fhall make Search and View within the Limits of their Town, as oft as they fhall think it needful, who fhall have a Mark or Seal pre pared by fuch Town for that Purpose; and with the faid Mark or Seal they fhall feal fuch Leather in faid Town as they fhall find in all Points fufficient, and no other.

That if the faid Searchers or Sealers, or any of them, find any Leather fold or offered to be fold, or any way difpofed of, which fhall be either tanned, wrought, converted or used contrary to the true Intent and Meaning of this Act, it fhall and may be lawful for the faid Searchers or Sealers, or any of them, to feize, or procure to be feized, all fuch Leather, and retain the fame in their fered to fale, Cuftody, until fuch Time as the Matter be tried by fuch Triers, and in fuch Manner as in this Act is appointed; That is to fay, When any Leather is feized as being forfeited, as aforesaid, the Officer fo feizing the fame, fhall within three Days, inform fome Affiftant or Juftice of the Peace thereof; who fhall forthwith fummon four or fix Men, honeft and skilful in Leather, to view the fame, in the Prefence of the Party, (who shall have timely Notice thereof) or without him in cafe he do not appear: Which Men being duly fworn for that Purpose, shall upon their Oaths certify to the faid Affiftant or Juftice the defect of fuch Leather: And if thereby it appears the faid Leathe is forfeited by virtue of this Act, the faid Affittant or Juftice hall give Judgment accordingly; and order the Difpofition thereof as in this Att is provided.

Sealers of leather to fearch for fhoes, &c.

And every of the faid Searchers and Sealers of Leather, shall be, and are hereby impowered to fearch for all fuch Shoes, Boots and other Ware made by Shoe-makers or Cordwainers, as the faid Searchers, or any of them shall judge or fufpect to be made of infufficient Leather; and upon any fuch Search to feize and fecure all fuch Shoes, Boots and other Ware aforefaid, as they find, and judge to be made of fuch bad Leather: And if upon due Confideration and Trial thereof had and made, by four or fix honest Men, skilful in Leather, made of bad as aforefaid, the fame Shoes, Boots or other Ware fhall be judged and certified to be made of infufficient Leather, then the same shall by the Owner or Owners thereof be forfeited; one third thereof to the Complainer, and two thirds to the Town Treasury: Unless the Owner or Owners thereof shall give Oath that the fame Wares were made of Leather fealed according to Law.

leather, &c.

And if any Searcher or Sealer of Leather shall neglect or refuse with convenient Speed to Seal any Leather futficiently tanned, wrought and dried, according to the true Intent and Meaning of this Act, having timely Notice thereof; or shall feal any Leather which shall be infufficient, that then every fuch SearchPenalty of 205. on feal- er and Sealer fhall forfeit for every fuch Offence the Sum of Twenty Shillings ers of leather to the Ufe of the Town Treafury, and anfwer all Damages fuftained by fuch who neglect Neglect, Refusal or Mif-doing And for his Service in Sealing, as aforefaid, their duty. fhall for his Fee be allowed and paid by the Owner for each Dicker of Leather he shall seal, Eighteen-pence ; and tor half a Dicker Twelve-pence, and for a fingle Hide Three-pence.

Curriers of

leather to forfeit the value of the

Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Perfon or Perfons ufing, or that shall use the Art or Miftery of currying Leather, fhall burn or fcale any Hide or Leather in currying the fame ; but shall work the fame in all Refpects with good fufficient Liquor, both for Quantity and Quality, fuitable to the Condition of the Leather dreffed by him or them, on Pain of Forfeiting for every Offence or A&t done contrary to the true Intent and Meaning of this Act, the full Value of fuch Hide or Hides, or Skins marred by his evil Workmanship or Handling: Which shall be judged by two or more fufficient and skilful Perill workman- fons, Curriers or others, under Oath given them for that Purpose, by any AfThip. ftant or Juftice of the Peace.

hides which

shall be marred by their

Light-Houfe. Limitation.

127

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That no Perfon or Perfons thail transport or fend away out of this State, any tanned Hides, Skins or Tanned lea. Leather, upon Pain of forfeiting fuch Hides, Skins or Leather, or the full Va- ther not to be Jue thereof: One third Part to the Complainer, who fhall profecute to effect, tranfported, and the rest to the County Treasury of the County where the Offence is com- this State.

mitted.

An Act for laying a Tax on Shipping for repairing and maintaining the Light-Houle, near the Port of New-London.

E it enacted by the Governor, Council and Reprefentatives in General Court

உள்

&c. out of

BE in mated Authority of the fame, That from and after the All veffels to

Naval officers

to account

tenth Day of February, One thousand feven hundred and eighty-four, each and pay tax for every Veffel, except fuch as are employed in Fishery, and during their Conti- light-house, nuance therein, which fhall clear out at any Port in this State, or fhall harbour except, &c• or anchor in the Port of New-London, fhall be fubject to pay the following Taxes, viz. Each and every Ship, One Pound Ten Shillings; each and every fquare-rigged Veffel carrying two Mafts, Twelve Shillings; each and every Sloop and Schooner (Coafters excepted) Six Shillings; each Veffel ufed in the coafting Bufinefs, of more than twenty Tons Burthen, Three Shillings; and each Vessel used in the coafting Bufinefs, of less than twenty Tons Burthen, One Shilling and Six-pence. Which feveral Taxes or Duties becoming due as aforesaid, fhall be paid to and collected by the Naval-Officers where any fuch Veffel fhall to give bond clear out, or harbour and anchor as aforefaid. Which Officers fhall feverally therefor, &c. give Bonds to the Treasurer of this State, with Surety, faithfully to account for the Sums they fhall receive by Virtue of this A&t. And the Naval-Officers fhall pay over the Sams of Money they fhall receive as aforefaid, according to the Direction of the General Affembly from Time to Time, for the Conveni-. ence and Accommodation of the Light-Houle. And the Mafter of every Velfel which fhall harbour and anchor in the Port of New-London aforefaid, who fhall for the Space of twenty-four Hours, neglect or refufe to pay fuch Tax as is Penalty on by Law required, fuch Mafter fo neglecting, fhall forfeit and pay double the the maiter Sum of fuch Tax, and all Cofts; to be recovered by Bill, Plaint or Informati- for neglect, on: Any Law, Ufage or Cuftom to the contrary notwithstanding.

An Act for the Limitation of Profecutions in divers Cafes, civil

and criminal.

&c.

BE E it enacted by the Governor, Council and Representatives, in General Court affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That no Perfon fhall be indicted, profecuted, informed againft, complained of, or compelled to anfwer be- and prefentComplaints fore any Court, Alliftant or Justice of the Peace within this State, for the ments to be Breach of any penal Law, or for other Crime or Misdemeanour, by Reafon exhibited whereof a Forfeiture belongs to any public Treafury, unless the Indictment, Pre- within one fentment, Information, or Complaint be made and exhibited within one Year year. after the Offence is committed.

And every fuch Indictment, Prefentment, Information, and Complaint that

is not made and exhibited, as aforefaid, within the Time limited for the fame Or to be void as aforefaid, fhall be void and of none Effect.

Provided always, That this Act shall not extend to any capital Offence; nor to any Crime that may concern Lois of Member, or Banishment, of T

and of none effe&.

Provifo.

or bond in 17 years, or &c.__

any Treachery against this State, nor to any pilfering and Theft, the Value whereof is above Ten Shillings; nor fhall it hinder any Perfon aggrieved, a injured by any Wrong done him, or his Wife, Children, Servants, or Eftate, real or perfonal; but that every fuch Perfon fhall have Remedy as he might before this Act; any Thing therein contained notwithstanding.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Suit, Procefs, To bring ac- or Action shall be brought on any Bond, Bill, or Note under Hand, given for payment of any Sum or Sums of Money, not having any other Condition, Contract or Promise therein but within the Space of feventeen Years next after an Action on the fame fhall accrue. Provided nevertheless, That the Time this State has been, or may be engaged in War, fhall. be expunged, and not computed in said Time of Limitation. But from all and every Action, Suit or Process, after the Time limited as aforesaid, each and every Person shall be forever debarred.

Liberty for

1

each town to choose a difcretionary number of Hifters.

To be sworn.

ons.

Inhabitants

to give in a kift of what

Provided nevertheless, That Perfons over Sea, or legally incapable to bring their Actions for their Debts aforementioned, may bring the fame any Time within four Years after their coming from over Sea, or becoming legally capable to bring an Action, notwithstanding the Time limited, as aforefaid, be expired.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That no Action of Trefpafs, nor of the Cafe for Slander and Defamation, fhall be brought but within three Years after the Facts are done, or the cause of Action doth arise.

An Act for the direction of Lifters in their Office and

Duty.

BE
E it enacted by the Governor, Council and Representatives, in General Court
affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That the feveral Towns in this
State fhall, in the Month of December, annually, chufe fuch number of Lifters
as they fhall judge neceffary and convenient, to make up the Lift of Polls and
rateable Eftates in fuch Town ; who shall take the Oath prefcribed by Law.

And the faid Lifters fhall give Warning to the Inhabitants of their respective Towns, to give in the Lifts of their Polls and rateable Eftates, by posting up a Notification in Writing, figned by the Lifters in fuch Town in the Month of Lifters to put July, annually, on the public Sign-Poft, and fome public Place in every Socieup notificatity in fuch Town; thereby giving Notice to all Perfons obliged by Law to pay Taxes, to give in their respective Lifts, according to Law. Which Warning fo pofted up as aforefaid, fhall be fufficient Notice to fuch Perfons to give in their Lift to the Lifters. And the Inhabitants being fo warned, fhall give in to the Lifters in Writing, a true Account of all their liftable Polls, and of all their rateable Estate, being their Property, or belonging to them, on the twentieth Day of Auguft following, at or before the tenth Day of September following; particularly mentioning therein all fach Things as as are in this Act hereafter expressly valued, figned with their Names; which Accounts the faid Lifters fhall accept, adding thereto, according to their beft Judgment, a value for all Things hereafter mentioned in this Act to be lifted, that are not particularly valued, and make the whole into one general List. And every Perfon or Perfons having any Land or real Eftate proper to be rated in any other Town than where fuch Perfon dwells, shall give in to the Lifters of fuch Towns where fuch Eftate doth lie, a true Lift thereof, in the Manner before mentioned, without any Warning given by the Lifters of the Town where dents neglect their eftate to fuch Eftate is liable to be rated as aforefaid; or on Failure thereofthe same shall be added by the Lifters: And in cafe the Town in which fuch Estate lieth be

they poffefs the 20th of Aug. by the 10th of Sept.

If non-refi

be added.

unincorporated, and not taxed, then faid Eftate to be given into the Lifters of the Town where fuch Perfon dwells. And all the Lands not as yet laid within the Bounds of any Town, thofe Lands, with the Perfons and Eftates thereupon, fhall be affeffed by the Rates of the next Town unto it; the Measure or Ettimation to be by the Dillance of the Meeting-Houses.

ral affembly in October, annually.

the last day

That the Lifters shall receive, make up, and transmit to the General Affem- Lifts to be bly in October annually, the Lists of fuch Towns, with a Certificate from an tranfmitted to the geneAffiftant or Juftice of the Peace, or Town Clerk, before whom faid Lifters were fworn, that they were fworn to a faithful Discharge of their Duty before the first Day of July preceeding. And that every of the aforefaid Lifters, who shall neglect his Duty herein, fhall forfeit and pay to the Treasury of this State ten Pounds. And that if no fuch Return of the Lift be made from any Town, or Penalty on there be no fuch Certificate, fuch Town shall be doomed by and at the Dif- lifte and cretion of the General Assembly. That the faid Lifters, after the rifing of the towns for General Affembly in October annually, fhall, and they are hereby required, neglect. carefully to inspect the faid Lift till the last Day of December following, annually, and to add Fourfold for all the Polls and rateable Eftate they fhall find left Lifters to inout of the Lift, by any particular Perfon or Perfons, the Property whereof did fpect lifts till belong unto fuch Perfon or Perfons, on the twentieth Day of Auguft preceeding, of Dec. angiving Notice thereof to the Perfons fourfolded: And if any Doubt thereon nually; add fall arife, the faid Ettate fhal! be adjudged or reputed the Property of the Per- fourfolds, &c fon affeffed for the fame, unless he can fhew it to have been the Property of fome other Perfon on the said twentieth Day of Auguft; and alfo add to faid Lift fourfold for the whole rateable Eftate and Polls of all fuch Perfons as have given in no Lifts at all, as a Penalty on the said Inhabitants for their Neglect; who fhall pay Rates for the fame, according to their fourfold Affeffiments. And one Half of all fuch Sums arifing upon fuch fourfold Additions, fhall, by the Conftable and other Collectors of Rates, that fhall be made upon fuch of additions Lifts, be paid to the Lifters as a Reward for their Trouble, and the other Half to the genefhall be for the Ufes for which fuch Rates are made. And the Lifters fhall tal affembly tranfmit the Sum Total of all the Additions, agreeable to the Form aforefaid, in May. which they fhall fo make, to the General Affembly in May following, on Pain On penalty. of incurring the fame Penalty for their neglect thereof, as is provided in this Ac in cafe they neglect to fend the Sum Total of the Lift to the General Affembly in O&tober. That faid Lifters fhall annually, fome time in the Month of Janua"J, deliver the Lift of the Polls and rateable Eftate of the Inhabitants of their Town, made out according to Law, to the Clerk of the Town, taking his Receipt for the fame ; upon the Penalty that every Lifter that fhall neglect the Copy to be fame, fhall pay to the Treasurer of fuch Town the Sum of Five Pounds; to be town clerk, recovered by Action, Bill, Plaint or information.

To tranfmit

the fum total

lodged with

That when and fo often as any Perfon or Persons are over-charged in their Lift, it shall be the Duty of the Lifters to grant Relief in fuch Cafes only, where the Eftate fhall appear not to have belonged to the Person on the twentieth of Auguft preceeding, or that it was not left out through his Wilfulness or Negligence, but from fufficient Ground to conclude the Eitate to have been loft Inwhat manor perished, and that fo foon as he was sensible of his Duty therein, he did offer ner perfons his Eftate bona Fide to the Lifters, to be entered in the public Lift. But if aggrieved fuch Lifters will not give juft Relief, then upon Application made by the ag- may have regrieved Party, to two or more Juftices of the Peace, and three Select-men of the Town, notifying two or more of the Lifters to fhew Reafon, if any they have, why Relief fhould not be granted to fuch aggrieved Perfon, they fhall confider the Cafe, and give fuch Relief as they shall judge juft and reasonable; and alfo in all Cafes where any Perfon may be wrongly charged or over-charged by the

lief.

130

Miftakes in

caft upon cer

tificate from lifters, to be

Lifters.

Lifters in their Lifts as aforefaid: Provided fuch Application be made in fix
Months next after fuch over-charge complained of, be made.

That when the Lifters fhall make a Miflake in cafting the Lift of the Town, on Discovery thereof, they fhall certify the fame to the Treasurer, who is hereby authorized and directed, on fuch Certificate, to add to, or fubftract from the Lift of fuch Town, the amount of fuch Mifcaft, as the Circumftances of fuch Cafe fhall require. And the Treafurer fhall not accept nor allow any Bills of corrected by Abatement, fave only where any Perfons fhall be found according to the true the treasurer. meaning of this Act, to have been really over-charged or wrong charged: or unless any Perfon charged in faid Lift is deceased, or fhall have abfconded and Treasurer not departed out of this State, before the Time limited for the Payment of such to allow of a Rate to the Treasurer, and hath not left any Estate whereon the fame may be batement, &c levied. And in every Bill of Abatement, made in either of the Cafes aforesaid,

polls fall be

fet in the lift.

Cattle, horfe. kind, &c.

fhall be certified the Reason of fuch Abatement, by the Perfons who have Right by Law to make the fame, or by an Affiftant or Juftice of the Peace.

Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all male Perfons within this State, from fixteen Years of Age to Twenty-one, (not hereafter speci At what age ally exempted) shall be set in the Lift, each Perfon at Nine Pounds; and all and what rate male Perfons within this State, from twenty-one Years of Age to seventy, (except the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Afiftants, Minifters of the Gofpel, the Prefident, Profeffors and Tutors of the Collegiate-School, conftant School-Mafters, and Students of College, until the Expiration of the Time for Who exempt. taking their fecond Degree, and Perfons difabled by Sickness, Lameness, and other Infirmities, and fuch as are or may be exempted by fpecial Act of the General Affembly) fhall be fet in the Lift, each Perfon at Eighteen Pounds; and all rateable Eftate fhall be fet in the Lift as follows, viz. Every Ox or Steer of four Years old and upwards, at Four Pounds; every Steer of three Years old, and every Cow or Heifer of three Years old and upwards, at Three Pounds; every Steer or Heifer of two Years old, at Two Pounds; every Steer or Heifer of one Year old, at One Pound; each Horfe or Mare of three Years old and upwards, at Three Pounds, (except Troopers Horfes inlifted); all Horfe-kind of two Years old, at Trvo Pounds each; and every Horfe-kind of one Year old, at One Pound each; every Swine of one Year old and upwards, (Boars excepted) at One Pound. All meadow Lands in the County of Hartford, both for Plowing and Mowing, at Fifteen Shillings per Acre, except BoggyMeadow, which if mowed, at Five Shillings per Acre; if not mowed, at Two Shillings per Acre; all other Plow-lands in this State, at Ten Shillings per Acre; all Meadow-lands, both falt and fresh, within the Counties of NewHaven, New-London, Fairfield, Windham and Litchfield, at Seven Shillings and Six-pence per Acre, except Boggy-meadow, which if mowed, at Five Shillings per Acre. Always provided, That all Plow-lands fhall be fo affeffed only for that Year in which the Crops are taken off or feparated from the faid Land but in the next Year following it fhall be affeffed as Pafture-land, at Eight Shillings per Acre, and fo from Year to Year' till the Year wherein the faid Land fhall be plowed for another Crop, in which it fhall be rate free, and in the Year in which the Crop is to be taken off or feparated from faid Land, it fhall be rated at Ten Shillings as aforefaid: All upland Pafture, either for feeding or mowing, at Eight Shillings per Acre, except fuch Lands as are much overgrown with Woods, Bushes, Briars and the like, whereby the Lands become unferviceable for Pafture, whether the fame have been cleared or not, which shall be affeffed at Two Shillings per Acre: All uninclofed Lands in this State fhall be fet as follows, viz. All Timber-lands, which it cleared, would be fit for Mowing or Plowing, at Two Shillings per Acre; all other Timber-lands (except on Mountains inacceffible to Teams) at One Shilling per Acre; and all other unincloted Lands, at Six-pence per Acre.

Meadow land.

Provifo.

Upland.

Uninclofed