Assembly Proceedings, October 26, 1686. 137

sterling for euery hogshead of Tobaccoe soe shipped of
Exported or conveyed out of this province and soe after the
same rate for a greater or lesser quantity in bulk or for the
Vallue of a hogshead of Tobaccoe in other goods wares &
Merchandizes to be recouered & payed to such vses & in
such manner as before is appointed & whereas the weighing
Tobaccoe & other comodities w^th Stylyards heitherto Vsed is
a certaine abuse not onely to the people of this province but
to the traders of the same.
Be it therefore Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that from
& after the last day of August One thousand six hundred
Eighty & Eight noe Stylyards shall be vsed for the waying any
Tobaccoes wares or Merchantdizes Exceeding the waight of
one hundred pounds in any of the Townes ports or places
authorized for Townes but shall be wayed by weights & scales
and to th^t end the Justices of each respectiue County Co^rt are
hereby enjoyned forthwith to send for & procure at the
charge of each respectiue County to be assessed in the
County levaie substantiall scales & lawfull weights weighing
vpwards of Seven Hundred pownds weight w^th three moue-
able posts to be carryed from place to place in the Towne soe

Lib. W. H.

th^t the same Justices haue the same ready in Each respectiue
Towne within each County on or before the said last day of
August 1688 and in default thereof the said Justices of each
respectiue County Co^rt shall forfeite & pay for euery such
weights & scales wanting for each respectiue Towne in each
County the suffie of ffiue hundred pounds of tobaccoe one
halfe thereof to the Lord Propry & the other halfe thereof to
him or them th^t shall sue for the same in any Co^rt of Record
w^thin this Province and the said weights & scales to be kept
by the Officer of each Towne who is to haue & receiue for
each draught therein Weighed the suine of one penny Ster-
ling or one pound of Tobaccoe to paid by them th^t shall bring
the same. And be it further Enacted by the Authority afore-
said th^t noe bill plaint informacon or suite be brought in any
of his Lord^pps Courts of this Province for or by reason of any
breach heretofe comitted ag⁽ the aforesaid Acts but th^t all &
all manner of breaches thereof be & are hereby released &
forgiuen and th^t the Comission^rs for Townes now liueing in
Each respectiue County or any fiue of them in case any
Towne or port hereby nominated shall be soe remoate from
the habitacons of fiue Comission^rs th^t they cannot conveniently
be & goe vpon the same ports or Townes to Execute this Act
that then & in such case the said Comission^rs named in the
said first recited Act or any fiue of them are hereby impowred
to nominate & appoint such other able & discreete psons as

p. 286