An Act for the defence of the Province

It shalbe lawfull for the Governor for this yeare onley to
settle a garrison at pascatoway and to assesse the charge of it
vpon every head able to beare armes inhabiting within the
province at any time afore the first of December next so that
such charge vpon any head exceed not a barrell of corne, or
fifty pounds of tobacco w^th cask at the choice of the payer
And to presse any Souldiers to that service, at the rate of three
and twenty barrells of corne, or one thousand w^t tob w^th cask
& three barrels of corne for a yeares pay And to appoint the
payment of such souldier in such hundred & such place of the
hundred as the Governor shall see fittest. And to appoint one
or two places in every hundred, to which all persons chargeable
within the hundred shall bring the corne or tobacco charged
vpon them, before the first of December next. And if any one
chargeable as aforesaid, shall not pay the same according to
such Order as shalbe appointed by the Governor as aforesaid
such partie so in default shall forfeite to the partie to whose
payment he was charged double the quantity or value of the
tobacco or corne so charged; to be levied vpon the partie
offending by way of distresse. And the charge of the late
Expedition to Kent & of this assembly as shalbe allowed by
the Court is to be defrayed out of this levie] Published vnder
great scale 13^th febr: 1644