144 Assembly Proceedings, July 7-29, 1740.

Session
Laws

teen Hundred and Thirty Six, be, and is hereby Revived and Con-
tinued to be and remain in full Force, for and during the Term of
Three Years next ensuing, and unto the end of the next Session of
Assembly that shall happen after the end of the said Three Years.

Chapter XI
Preamble.
[Continued
by 1744
Ch. 19 and
expired July
1747.]

An Act for the Benefit of the Poor and Encouragement of Industry.

Whereas several Inhabitants of this Province, especially the poorer
sort, cannot provide necessary Cloathing, particularly Linen, for
themselves and their Families, by their produce of their Crops of
Tobacco in the present low state of that Commodity, and that mak-
ing Linen Cloth of 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 prayed that it may be Enacted,
And be it Enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary,
by and with the Advice and Consent of his Lordship's Governor, and

30 Pounds
to be Levied
in each
County
for the
Encourage-
ment of
making
Linen Cloth.

the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly, and the Authority of
the same, That at the next November County Courts within this
Province, and at every November Court during the continuance of
this Act, the Justices of each respective County Court, shall levy on
the Taxable Inhabitants of each respective County, the Sum of
Thirty Pounds Current Money of Maryland, in the same manner
as other County Charges are levied, together with the Sheriff's
Salary, to be applied to the Uses and Purposes following, (That is
to say) Six Pounds to be paid to the Person who shall bring to
August Court which shall be in the Year Seventeen Hundred and
Forty One, and to every August Court afterwards, during the con-
tinuance of this Act, the best Piece of Linen Cloth of Twenty Yards

p. 18

at least in length, and one Yard wide at least, The Sum of Five
Pounds, to such Person as shall bring the Second best Piece in qual-
ity, of the length and breadth aforesaid, The Sum of Four Pounds
Five Shillings, to the Person who shall bring the third Piece in
quality of the length and breadth aforesaid, The Sum of Three
Pounds Ten Shillings, to the Person who shall bring the fourth
Piece in quality of the length and breadth aforesaid, The Sum of
Two Pounds Ten Shillings, to the Person who shall bring the fifth
Piece in quality of the length and Breadth aforesaid, in which said
Pieces of Linen, regard shall be had to the quality and whiteness of
the Linen.
And be it Enacted by the Authority, Advice and Consent afore-

The
remaining
part of the
30 Pound
how dispos'd
of.

said, That the remaining part of the said Thirty Pounds so to be
levied as aforesaid by virtue of this Act, shall be paid and applied to
the several Persons and Uses following, To the Person who shall
bring into the August Courts aforementioned, the Sixth best Piece
of Linen of the length aforesaid, and not under Seven Eights of a
yard wide, the Sum of Two Pounds Five Shillings, To the Person