452 Assembly Proceedings, Feb. 23-May 22, 1756.

L. H. J.
Liber No. 48
May 22

Custody upon Payment of the aforesaid Sum of One hundred
Pounds Current Money and Fees aforesaid Shall Presume to have
or keep in his Possession or in his House or upon his Plantation or
elsewhere any Fire-Arms or Ammunition Such Person Shall forfeit
and pay the further Sum of One hundred pounds Current Money
And be it Enacted by the authority aforesaid that in Ten days
after the Publication of this Act the Colonel or Commanding Officer
of every Regiment Troop or Company in the Militia of this Province
shall issue his Warrant to his inferiour Officers directing them to
make deligent Search and Enquiry in their respective District what
Arms and Ammunition shall be therein and return what Number
of Arms and what Quantitiy of Ammunition they Shall on such
Search and Enquiry find or discover and the Condition and kind of
such Arms and Ammunition and who shall be possessed thereof
distinctly in Writing under the Penalty of Twenty Pounds Current
Money upon the Colonel or Commanding Officer aforesaid neglecting
his duty in this Behalf and the Penalty of Five Pounds Current
Money on the Inferiour Officer charged with the Execution of Such
Warrant who shall neglect within five days after receipt of such
Warrant to comply with his Duty herein and all and every Person
and Persons shall on Demand produce his or their Arms and Am-
munition to the Said Officers charged with the Execution of Such
Warrants under the Penalty of Five Pounds Current Money for his
or their every wilfull neglect or refusal so to do And Whereas on
many Occasions Arms Ammunition and military Accoutrements
of different Kinds have been delivered out of the public Magazines
of this Province and are now dispersed among the Inhabitants and
have been Sold or Sent from one to another and it is represented
that the Locks have been taken of from many of the Said Arms
and put to private Use therefore for discovering the Said Arms
Ammunition and Military Accoutrements and Locks and rendering
of Service towards Arming the Militia of this Province in this

p. 300

Time of common Danger Be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid
that the Laptam of every Troop or Company of Militia shall within
Ten Days after the Publication of this Act issue his Warrant to
his Several Corporals to make diligent Inquiry within their Limits
for all Arms military Accoutrements and Locks belonging to the
Public and the Said Corporals are hereby required as soon as may
be after receit of such Warrant to repair to the Habitation of every
Housekeeper within their respective Limits and demand of him Such
Arms Ammunition Military Accoutrements and Locks as he hath
in his Possession belonging to the Public and immediately on Such
Demand Such Person shall deliver the Same to the Said Corporals
And the Said Corporals shall give Receits for all Such Arms Am-
munition military Accoutrements and Locks as Shall be delivered