30 Assembly Proceedings, April 26-June 3, 1715.

U. H. J.

than has been of late usual for that the same would prove
very advantagious to the Country in General is conceived to
be beyond dispute because that the longer the Tob^o hangs
the more It loses in its scent Freshness Substance Weight &
Goodness in every respect & consequently is of less value
when It comes to Markett being so wasted that there remains
only the Shape & nothing of the Substance of Tobo
It will be an essential method to quicken Trade for thereby
all Purchasers as well as those that come upon freight may
with far less expence be dispatched And consequently the one
may afford to give the better pennyworth & the other to go
at a cheaper Freight
And It being Evident that the want of getting Cask Timber
timely seasoned and fitt to be sett up and the delay used by
Coopers proceeding in a great measure from the uncertainty
of their pay is the chief Cause of the backwardness in getting
the Tobaccos ready for shipping, Whither a Law appointing
a certain time in the year for getting such Cask timber ready
And for Coopers to sett the same up would not prove bene-
ficial and for the Cooper's Encouragemt to have his pay upon

p. 42

Execution. Such Law would certainly prove highly beneficial
not only for the dispatch in Trade but likewise in saving of
the Sloops Flatts & other Craft of the Country from being
destroyed by the Worm for in getting the Tob^o timely ready
such Craft need not be running after the worm bites, nor the
Ships be forced to stay so late And be also damnifyed.
It would be a means for all Tob^o to come regularly and
much near the same time to Markett And thereby All Traders
be at a Certainty how to govern themselves But if the Trade
continues to have Ships drop in all the year round The
Tobacco Buyers will purchase no more at a time than just
from Hand to Mouth.
Whereas on the contrary if all the years Crop went to
Market much at a Time the Buyers would according to the
Exigencys of their Trade purchase their whole years Stock at
once And thereby in all probability the Price of that Com-
modity would always be kept up
May 6th, 1715 John Hart

And thereupon Resolved by Majority of Voices that It
would be of great Advantage all Tob^o should be got ready to
be shipped earlier than usuall It has been of late years But
that It would be prejudicial to the good People of the Province
that any prefixed time should be limitted for the shipping of
tob^o
After which It was considered whither the Planters should