Assembly Proceedings, May — June 1676. 539

tentymes very much abused and wronged Bee itt therefore
Enacted by the Right Hon^ble the Lord Propry by and with the
advice and Consent of the upper and lower houses of this
present Generall Assembly That from and after the Publicacon
hereof every Constable within this Prouince shall between the
twentieth day of June & the last day of Iuly repaire in person
to every respective house or habitation within his hundred &
there Enquire of the masters Dame or other Cheife person in
the family what number of taxable persons they & every of
them haue within their Respective familyes and after such
Enquiry made, a true and fair list shall Returne of all & every
taxable persons within his hundred as aforesaid under his hand
unto the Sherriffe of the County & another faire list thereof
under his hand such Constable shall present att the next

Liber
W H &L

County Court there to bee Sett upp And in case any Master
Dame or other cheife person of a family shall refuse or deny
to give an accompt of the taxable persons of their familyes or
uppon their accompt shall Conceale any taxable person or per-
sons in his or their familyes & not give a true accompt of them
to the Constable when Required Shall for every such offence
and for every person taxable soe by him Concealed forfeit &
pay double the Leavy or Leavyes of such person or persons
soe by him or them Concealed And every Constable Neglect-
ing his office herein shall forfeitt & pay the Sume of five hundred
pounds of Tobacco for every offence such forfeitures and fines
to be Leavyed by the Iustices of the Respective County Courts
where such Constables and Inhabitants doe dwell and by them
to be disposed of for the use of the Respective Countyes as
the said Justices shall think fitt And to the end that noe person
for the future may be ignorant what persons are Taxables &
what not Bee itt Enacted by & with the aduice & Consent
aforesaid & the Authority of the same That all male Children
borne within this province & resident in itt shall be taken &
accompted taxables att the age of Sixteene yeares & upwards
And all male Servants imported into this Province att the age
of Sixteene yeares and Upwards shall be accompted taxables
and all Slaues whatsoever whether male or female imported or
borne in this Prouince or aboue the age of Sixteene yeares
shall be accompted taxables & Soe Rated And that all freemen
in this Prouince (except Ministers and Preists & such poore &
impotent persons that Receive Almes from the County shall
be taxable above the age of sixteene Yeares This act to Con-
tinue for three yeares or to the End of the next Generall
Assembly which shall first happen.

p. 117