Deputies be resolved into a committee to hear and consider of the difference between the towns of Providence and Warwick, relating [to] the bounds of the townships; and the matter having been fully debated between the deputies of said towns before the Assembly:

This Assembly do therefore give their advice, that the said towns of Providence and Warwick do, by a committee appointed and authorized by the freemen of each town, agree and make a final issue and determination of said difference relating [to] the boundaries of their said townships between the time of the dissolution of this Assembly and the sitting of the General Assembly at the election in May next, and make a return of their said agreement to said Assembly for a confirmation thereof. But in case said advice be not complied with, and that the said towns do not agree according to said advice, then it is ordered and enacted by this Assembly, that the said towns or freemen of said towns of Providence and Warwick do prepare themselves by their deputies or other persons, by them to be appointed, to appear before the said Assembly at the election in May next, with their town charters and other material agreements, with what else may be offered, to set forth the bounds and settlements of their said towns, that upon the perusal and consideration of said charters, agreements, and all other matters and obligations that by said Assembly, there may be a final determination and settlement of said bounds between said towns.

An Act for regulating of Tanners, Curriers and Cordwainers. For the preventing of deceits and abuses by tanners, curriers and workers of leather:

Be it enacted by the Governor, Council and Representatives in General Court of Assembly, and by the authority of the same, that no person or persons whatsoever, using, or which shall use the mystery or faculty of tanning, shall, at any time or times hereafter, put to sale any kind of leather, which shall be insufficiently tanned, or which hath been over-limed, or burnt in lime, or which shall not have been after the tanning there

of, well and thoroughly dried, or that shall not be sealed as in and by this act is hereafter directed, upon pain of forfeiting the whole side or other piece of leather so offered to sale.

And no person or persons whatsover, using, or that shall hereafter use the mystery or faculty of tanning, shall set any of his or their vats in tann hills or other places, where the woose or leather is put to tann in the same, shall or may take any unkind heat, or shall put any leather in to any hot or warm woose whatsover, on pain of forfeiting twenty pounds for every such offence.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no person or persons whatsoever, using or occupying, or that shall hereafter use or occupy the mystery or faculty of currying, or shall or may curry any kind of leather except it be sealed, as is hereafter provided, nor shall curry any hides, being not thoroughly dried, after his wet season; in which wet season he shall not use any stall urine or any other doubtful, subtile mixtures of any thing, way or means to corrupt or hurt the same; or shall curry any wet for outward soles leather, without any thing thin, good hard tallow, nor with any less of that than the leather will receive, nor shall curry any kind of leather wet for upper leather and inward soles, but with good and sufficient stuff, being fresh and not salt and thoroughly liquored till it will receive no more; nor shall burn or scald any hides or leather in currying; but shall work the same sufficiently in all points and respects, on pain of forfeiting, for every such of fence or act done contrary to the true intent and meaning hereof, every such hide marred or hurt by his evil workmanship or handling.

Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no person or persons using or that shall hereafter use or occupy the mystery or faculty of a shoe maker or cordwainer, shall work up in to shoes or otherwise, any leather that is not tanned and curried as aforesaid, or shall use any leather made of horse hides for inner soles for any shoes or boots, on pain of forfeiting all such shoes or boots or other wares wrought up of such insufficient leather.

And for the more effectual execution of this said act, be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all leather that is, or shall be hereafter tanned or curried, before the same pass out of the tanner or currier's yard, house or places respectively where it was wrought, be sealed by sworn searchers or sealers of leather, by law directed to be annually chosen in such towns where there shall be need, who shall have two several marks or seals, to be provided by each town for that purpose; with one of which they shall seal all such leather as they shall find to be sufficiently tanned in all respects as aforesaid; and with the other, all such leather as they shall find well and sufficiently curried, as is before mentioned, and no other. And the searchers and sealers shall, and are hereby authorized and empowered, ex officio, to make search and view all respective places or houses, shops, warehouses, or other places within the limits of their respective precincts, where they conceive any leather to be wrought into shoes, boots, or any other wares; or any leather offered to be sold, or offered to be searched or sealed; and shall not be well tanned as aforesaid, and well curried according to the aforerecited act, and the true intent and meaning thereof; or that shall find any leather in whole sides, out of the possession of the tanner, or out of the possession of the currier, not being sealed with the mark or seal to [be] used for leather well tanned or well curried, in all such cases it may be lawful for the searchers and sealers to seize all such leather insufficient or unsealed, whether it be wrought up in wares or not. And if the owner or challengers thereof, will not submit to the judgments of the officer or officers that seize the same, such officer or officers shall retain such leather in custody till trial thereof be had, as is before directed, and judgment thereon. In such cases, the officer shall, within four days after the seizure, inform some justice of the peace in said town thereof, who shall thereupon appoint four persons or more, honest men, skillful in leather, to view the same in the owner or claimer's presence, or without him, if having notice thereof, he doth not appear to report to any justice of the defect which they find in said leather; which report, said justice shall return unto the next General

Court of Trials for said colony, for a conviction in law on the fine imposed. But in case the viewers shall report that they do not find said leather or wares, so seized, in any respect defective according to the intent of this act, the said justice that appointed such viewers, shall cause the same to be forthwith discharged from the seizure made by such officer or officers.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no person whatsover shall or may withstand or resist the searchers and sealers in the execution of their office, nor in the searching for any insufficient leather or wares, upon forfeiture of five pounds for every such offence, and the fees for searching and sealing, one penny per hide, for any parcel less than six hides, and for all such parcels, if by the dozen, then eight pence; which fees the tanner or currier shall pay on the sealing thereof, from time to time; and shall also pay three pence per mile for every mile every searcher or sealer shall travel above one mile. And no searcher or searchers of leather shall [neglect] within convenient time to do his office, and if [he] shall allow any leather or wares which is not sufficient, shall be on the pain of forfeiting forty shillings; nor shall [he] take any bribe, nor exact more than his fees, on pain of forfeiting £10 for every such offence.

And be it further enacted, that all such fines, forfeitures or penalties as shall arise or grow due by virtue of this act, or any clause therein contained, shall be disposed of in manner following, viz.:

One-third part to the town treasury where the offence is committed, to pay town charges; and one-third part for the use of the poor of said town; and the other third part to the seizer or informer of such insufficient leather: which fines, penalties and forfeitures to be recovered by action, bill or plaint or information in any Court of Common Pleas, in said colony, before any two justices of the peace, when the matter does not exceed the value of forty shillings.

And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that when and as often as any leather shall be so seized, in the hands of either currier or tanner, and become forfeited by virtue of this act through their default, and it belongs to any particular person,

the tanner or currier shall be liable to make satisfaction for the same to the person or persons to whom it did belong, to be recovered in any Court of Common Pleas, or before any two justices of the peace, if the value do not exceed forty shillings. And for the recovering of the same, two persons knowing in the value of leather, shall be, by any justice of the peace in said town where such leather shall be seized, appointed to view the same, and make return and report of the value to said justices on their engagements, that a lawful recovery may be made to the person or persons of such sum or sums of money that be due thereby from the offending person.

And that the persons for searchers and sealers, and [for] clerk of the market, or the regulating the bakers for weight of bread, according to the acts following and as aforesaid, shall be annually chosen and engaged at the time of the election of town officers.

An Act for the due assize of Bread.

Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that henceforward every baker shall have a distinct mark for all his bread that he sells, and shall put the stamp thereon, and keep the due assize hereafter mentioned, on all sorts of loaf bread, that he or she shall sell out; and each loaf to weigh by avoirdupois according to the several prices of wheat as hereafter mentioned, according to the different prices by the bushel.

And so, proportionally, under the penalty of forfeiting all such bread as shall not be of the several assizes aforementioned to the use of the poor of the town where the same shall be seized, and lawfully condemned as is before mentioned and ordered for the trial on the seizure and condemnation of leather in said act.

And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the recorder shall, within ten days after the dissolution of this Assembly, send to each town in this colony, copies of this Assembly's acts, and shall be paid out of the general treasury twelve shillings for each copy; and the said acts to be published by beat of drum, under the seal of the colony, in the town of New