OCTOBER 1673 −−− 25th CHARLES II.

ACT II.

An act providing for the supply of armes and ammunition.

FOR the better supply of the country with armes and ammunition, Be it enacted by the governour, councell and burgesses of this grand assembly and by the authority thereof, that the captaines of ffoote and horse in each county doe take a strict and perticuler account of what armes and ammunition are wanting in their severall companies and troops, and represent the same into their respective colonells, at the next county courts after January next, but if there be not any colonell of horse within the county, then the captains of horse to represent their said wants imediately to the county court, into which courts at their next session following the colonells aforesaid are by this act enjoyned to retorne and represent the wants of the militia in their said county as they shall receive the same from their subordinate officers as aforesaid; and if any captaine of ffoote or horse, or colonell of any regiment shall faile to performe his or their respective duty herein, he or they shalbe fined; namely, every captain one thousand and colonell two thousand pounds of tobacco: And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the perticuler county courts be impowred, and they are by vertue hereof authorized and impowred upon their respective counties to lay and raise a levy for the provideing of armes and ammunition for supplying the wants aforesaid, that is to say, muskitts and swords for the ffoote, and pistolls, swords and carbines for horse, as alsoe for every lysted souldier at the least two pounds of powder and six pounds of shott, the said armes and ammunition by the courts provided as aforesaid to remaine in the hands of the officers of the militia for them to dispose of the same as there shalbe occasion; and that those to whome distribution of armes and ammunition shalbe made doe pay for the same at a reasonable rate, to be collected by the sherriffe or collector as in the case of levyes and publique dues, to the use and towards the reimbursement of the county; and if any court or courts shall faile in their duty to provide, within one yeare after such presentment made by the officers of the militia aforesaid of their wants aforesaid, for the full supplying thereof in manner aforesaid, be fined tenn thousand pounds of tobacco to be paid, as alsoe the other ffines to be imposed by this act, to the use of the respective counties, and that the burgesses of the severall counties be required and enjoyned to give an account into the assembly how this act is put in execution.