Act for supplying the Army with Beef. AND it is further Enacted, That the said William Rhodes give Bond to the General Treasurer in the Sum of Two Thousand Pounds Lawful Silver Money, with Two Sureties, for the faithful Performance of the Trust reposed in him. AND whereas the Town of Scituate hath, at the present Session, been divided into Two Towns: It is further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said Two Towns procure in their respective Towns their respective Proportions of the said Beef, or Money, in this Act assigned to the said Town of Scituate, in Proportion to the Amount of the Sums of the last State Tax assessed on the said Town of Scituate. AND the Secretary is hereby directed to transmit printed Copies of this Act, as soon as may be, to each of the Town-Clerks in this State, who on Receipt thereof are hereby empowered and directed immediately to issue Warrants, calling Town-Meetings in their respective Towns, in order that the Freemen may take such Measures as shall be necessary for carrying this. Act into Execution. PASSED AT DECEMBER SESSION, 1781. An ACT proportioning the Quantity of Sixty Thousand Pounds Weight WHEREAS it is indispensably necessary, that the said Quota of Beef should, as soon as possible, be furnished by this State, agreeable to the Requisitions of the Honorable the Continental Congress, and his Excellency General Washington, for regularly furnishing the Army monthly with Provisions: BE it therefore Enacted by the General Assembly, and by the Authority thereof it is Enacted, That the Towns herein after named shall, on the 31st Day of December inst. procure and deliver, at the Dwelling-House of Mr. Israel Bowen, in Coventry, the Quantity of good merchantable Beef respectively affixed to them, to William Rhodes, Esq; who is appointed to receive the same, and give his Receipt therefor, to wit: AND whereas it hath become necessary that a Garrison should be kept at Rhode-Island, who are inlisted for the Term of Five Months, and must therefore be furnished with Provisions, which are to be partly salted, and partly fresh: It is therefore further Enacted, That the Towns in the County of Newport be and they hereby aro required to procure, and deliver to Col. John Topham, the Quantites of Beef respectively affixed to them, on or before the said 31st Day of December, to wit: AND that the said John Topham kill and salt up the said Beef, delivered to him as aforesaid, excepting such Part as he may think proper to deliver fresh for the Use of said Garrison, from Time to Time, to Lieutenant John Miller, appointed at this Session to receive and deliver out the same to the Amount of the Rations which shall become due to the said Garrison; and that the said John Topham keep an exact Account of the Weight of the Beef delivered to him by the said Towns as aforesaid, and that he also keep an exact Account of the Weight of the Hides and Tallow, and preserve the same in the best Manner for the Use of the State, and render an Account of his Proceedings herein to the next Session. AND be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That Mr. John Demount be and he is hereby appointed to appraise the Weight of the said Beef, and adjudge the Quality thereof, and that he keep an exact Account of his Proceedings as heretofore, and return the same to the General Assembly at the next Session. AND be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said William Rhodes shall forthwith, upon receiving the Beef delivered at Coventry as aforesaid, drive on the same for the Use of the said Army, and deliver the same to the Commissary-General, or his Order. AND be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any or either of the said Towns shall refuse or neglect to procure and deliver the said Beef, as required by this Act, the said William Rhodes, or John Topham, according as the Delinquency may happen, are required to certify unto the Sheriff of the County within whose Precinct such delinquent Town lies, that such Town hath not procured the Beef herein assessed against such Town: And the Sheriff of such County within whose District such delinquent Town lies, is hereby directed and empowered forthwith, upon Receipt of such Certificate, to repair, with sufficient Aid, into such delinquent, Town, and there to seize and distrain double the Quantity of Beeves, or neat Cattle, as will make the Weight required and assessed against such Town, and have the Quantity assessed against said Town delivered at Coventry, on the Sixth Day of January next, to be appraised by said John Demount; and the remaining Part the said Sheriff shall sell at public Vendue, and the Monies arising from the Sale thereof, after deducting the Expence which shall accrue unto the Sheriff, shall be paid into the General-Treasury. AND be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said Sheriff shall, when he makes the Seizure and Distraint as aforesaid, keep an Account of the Numbers, Marks, natural and artificial, of the Beeves or neat Cattle so taken; and shall, within One Week after such Seizure and Distraint as aforesaid, lodge in the Town Clerk's Office of such Town where the Distraint is made a Copy thereof, that the Owner or Owners of such Beeves, or neat Cattle, may have satisfactory Payment therefor, from such delinquent Town at large. AND whereas it will be just and equitable, in case any town shall be so lost to a Sense of Duty, and Regard for the public Welfare, as not to make sufficient Provision for furnishing the said Beef, or Money in Lieu thereof, as aforesaid, and by such neglect shall cause any of their 'nhabitants to have their Cattle distrained from them as aforesaid, that such Inhabitants should have full Compensation for all Damages occasioned thereby, from the other delinquent inhabitants of such Town: BE it therefore further Enacted, That any Person having any of his Cattle distrained from him, in Pursuance of this Act, by the Sheriff as aforesaid, shall be entitled to have and recover against the Town to which he shall belong the full Value of all the Cattle taken from him as aforesaid, together with all lawful Costs, and such other Damages as shall be deemed just and reasonable by the Court before which the same shall be recovered: That the same be sued for and recovered by an Action to be commenced against the Town-Treasurer of such Town at a Special Court, to be called in the same Manner as Special Courts are now by Law directed to be called; and that on Judgment being recovered Execution issue against such Town-Treasurer, and be returnable within Fifteen Days from the Time of issuing the same. AND it is Enacted, That the said William Rhodes give Bonds to the General-Treasurer in the Sum of Two Thousand Pounds Lawful Silver Money, with two Sureties, for the faithful Performance of the Trust reposed in him. STATUTES OF SOUTH CAROLINA. [Printed from "The Statutes at Large of South Carolina," Vol. IV (containing the acts from 1752, exclusive, to 1786, inclusive), edited, under authority of the Legislature, by Thomas Cooper, M. D., LL. D., and Vol. VII (containing the acts relating to Charleston, Courts, Slaves, and Rivers), edited, under authority of the Legislature, by David J. McCord.] AN ORDINANCE TO DIRECT THE MANNER OF PROCURING NEGROES TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE. WHEREAS, a number of able male slaves are frequently wanted on very pressing occasions for the public service, which will not admit of delay, and it would be very detrimental to the State if speedy and effectual means are not provided to supply the public, from time to time, with such a number of male slaves as the exigency of affairs may require to be employed on the public works, for the defence and security of this State: I. Be it therefore ordained, by his Excellency John Rutledge, Esquire, President and Commander-in-chief in and over the State of South Carolina, and by the honorable the Legislative Council and General Assembly of the said State, and by the authority of the same, That the President and Commander-in-chief, by and with the advice of the privy council for the time being, shall have power and authority, and he is hereby authorized and impowered, whenever and as often as the public service shall require it, to issue his orders to the several committees of the parishes and districts throughout this State, or such of them as he, with the advice aforesaid, shall judge proper, demanding of them, respectively, such number of able male slaves, fit for labour, as shall, in his discretion, be thought adequate to the exigency of the case, and the circumstances and abilities of the district. And the said committees, or any three or more of their members, respectively, are hereby empowered and required, immediately on receiving such orders, to proceed, in the most expeditious manner,to rate and fix the proportion that each owner of slaves within their respective parishes and districts shall be obliged to furnish towards completeing the number of slaves demanded, according to the best information or knowledge they can obtain. And the said committees, or any three or more of their members, respectively, having determined and agreed on the quota of each owner, shall forthwith give notice thereof, in writing, requiring such owner and owners, or in his or their absence, the overseer or manager, at a day certain, to cause so many able bodied male slaves as in the said notices, respectively, shall be specified, to be conveyed, with the utmost dispatch, to the place or places appointed by the President's order, furnished with such tools and implements, if in the power of the owner, as shall be directed and required. II. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That if any owner or owners of slaves, the overseer or manager thereof, having notice as aforesaid, shall refuse or neglect to send and convey the negroes required of him or her, as his or her quota and proportion, and shall not |