248 Assembly Proceedings, July 13-July 29, 1731.

Session
Laws

ernor, and the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly, and the
Authority of the same, That all Writs, Process, Pleas, and Suits,
now commenced or depending, and which ought to have been deter-
mined last June Court, shall be and are, by Virtue of this Act, con-
tinued until the First Tuesday in November next; and be then in the
same State and Condition, to all Intents and Purposes whatsoever,
as if the same were continued to and from the several Courts in the
usual Manner: And also, that all Writs, Process, Pleas, and Suits,
now commenced and depending, and which ought to be determined
at the Courts to be held in the Months of August or November, in
this present Year One Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty One,
shall be and are, by Virtue of this Act, continued to the Court or
Courts to be held in the Month or Months of March or June next
ensuing this present Sessions of Assembly, if the same, or any of
them, to the Justices of the said County Court shall seem meet; and
that no Advantage shall be taken or had, for or by Reason of any
Discontinuance or other Error or Defect in any of the said Pro-
ceedings, for or by Reason of the Non-appearance of any Plaintiff or
Defendant, or for or by Reason that any Suit depending in the same
County Court hath not been regularly continued, or tried, heard, or
determined, within the Time limited for Continuance of Actions, by
the Act of Assembly in that Case provided; any Law, Usage, or Cus-
tom to the contrary, notwithstanding.
Provided Always, That this Act, or any Thing therein contained,
shall not extend or be construed to extend, to aid any Imperfection
or Defect, which the regular Continuance and Trial of Causes accord-
ing to the Law now in Force, would not have aided.

Chap. III

An Act to encourage the Making of Linen Cloth, within this Prov-
ince, of Flax or Hemp, of the Growth thereof.

Whereas, several of the Inhabitants, of this Province, especially
the poorer Sort, cannot provide necessary Cloathing, particularly
Linen, for themselves and their Families, by the Produce of their
Crops of Tobacco, in the present low State of that Commodity; and
that making Linen Cloth, or Flax and Hemp, of the Growth of the
Country, would be of great Advantage to the People thereof in
general; and therefore, and to the End, that so useful and beneficial
a Work may be encouraged, it is praied that it may be Enacted,
And Be It Enacted, by the Right Honourable the Lord Proprie-
tary, by and with the Advice and Consent of his Lordship's Gov-
ernor, and the Upper and Lower House of Assembly, and the Author-
ity of the same, That at the next November County Court within
this Province, and at every November Court during the Continuance

p. 4

of this Act, the Justices of each respective County Court, shall levy

on the Taxable Inhabitants of each respective County, the Quantity

of Twenty Four Hundred Pounds of Tobacco, in the same Manner