290 Assembly Proceedings, 1694-1728.

Liber LL, 4
Acts
Acts of
Aug. 1721,
ch. 7

An Act Impowering the Justices of Prince Georges County to Levy
twelve pounds of Tobacco p poll on all Taxables within the said
County for the finishing their Court House and building a Pub-
lick Prison for the use of the said County.
Whereas it is represented to this Present Generall Assembly by the
Inhabitants of Prince Georges County that the present Court House
in the said County at the Town of Marlborough has been built (and
so far carried on as it is) by Subscriptions of the said Inhabitants
saving once a Levy of five pounds of Tobacco p poll and for that
the said Court House is not so well finished and Compleated as it
ought to be for the Security of the Records of the County there
being most of all the inside work thereof Yet undone. And Whereas

p. 523

this Generall Assembly conceives it highly necessary that the said
Court House be finished and Compleated as well for the Preserva-
tion of the Records as for the Conveniency of the Officers and suiters
to the said Court and that a Publick Prison or Goal be allso built at
the said Court House.
Be it therefore Enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Pro-
prietary by and With the advice and Consent of his Lordships Gov-
erneur and the upper and lower Houses of Assembly and by the
Authority of the same, That the Justices of Prince George's County
Court or the Major Part of them shall have full Power and authority
and by this Act are required to Levy and Assess twelve pounds of
Tobacco per poll on every taxable person within the County aforesaid
for one Year next coming to be applyed by the Justices aforesaid or
Major part of them towards finishing and Compleating the said
Court House and building a Publick prison or Goal near the same
with all Convenient Speed for the use of the said County :

Acts of
Aug. 1721,
ch. 8

An Act for preventing the Making of trashy Tobacco and for the
bettering the Staple of this Province.
Whereas this Generall Assembly hath taken into their Mature
Deliberation the Extream low state to which the Staple of this
Province is reduced occasion'd as 'tis found by Experience by the
planting Tobacco's so late in the Year which hath occasion'd such
Vast Quantityes of trashy Ground leaf immature and other bad
Tobaccos to be made and shipt off to the great Prejudice of the
Markett, and disreputation of our Staple in Generall as well as a
Very great abuse of the Royall favour heretofore granted us by the
Crown of Great Brittain and further since the Parliament of Great

p. 524

Brittain hath out of their great Wisdom and Goodness thought con-
venient to encourage the sowing of Hemp and flax in the Plantations
as an inducement to the people to improve that as a Staple and being
fully perswaded of the fitness of our Lands for such purpose, as well
as the great profitt, & advantage likely thereby to accrue to Great
Brittain and this Province, for prevention of the aforemention'd