Pages 16-35 | Pages 54-72 |
CHAP. VIII. An Act, for amending the Act, intituled, An Act, concerning Tithables. | |
I. WHEREAS, the act of assembly made in the fourth year of the reign of the late queen Anne, intituled, An Act concerning Tithables, hath not been found effectual, to oblige persons to list their tithables, according to the intent and meaning of the said act; it having been practised by some persons, being owners of plantations in different counties, and parishes, when they have known, or been apprehensive, that the levies would run high in one of those counties, or parishes, by reason of public buildings, or other emergencies, to remove their tithables, some small time before the ninth of June, out of the said county, or parish, to some other plantation in another county, or parish; and afterwards, in a short time, have caused the same, or other tithables in their room, to return to the county, or parish, from whence they were so removed: and it hath been also practised by others, for avoiding the paiment of their levies, to combine together not to list their tithables, and then covinously to inform, or sue, and obtain judgments against each other as concealers of tithables, whereby others have been prevented from prosecuting them for the same, to the great encouragement of such offenders: for the preventing of which evil practices, for the future, | Preamble. |
II. Be it enacted, by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That if any master or mistress of a family, or in his or her | Tithables removed. |
absence, or non-residence at the plantation, his or her attorney, or overseer, shall remove his or her tithables from one plantation to another, with intent to avoid the paiment of levies in the county, or parish, from whence they were so removed; and shall afterwards cause the same, or other tithables in their room, to return to the plantation from whence they are removed, in manner as herein before is mentioned; every such master or mistress, attorney, or overseer, shall be adjudged and taken, and is hereby declared to be a concealer of the said tithables so removed, and shall be liable to all the penalties and forfeitures inflicted by the said recited act, or by this act, for concealing, or not listing of tithables And that one moiety only of the penalties and forfeitures inflicted by the said recited act, shall go and be to the use of the informer; and the other moiety to the churchwardens of the parish where the offence shall be committed, to the use of the said parish. Any thing in the said act, or any other act, to the contrary, notwithstanding. | ||
III. And for the ease and encouragement of mariners and seafaring persons, Be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That all mariners and seafaring persons not being freeholders, commonly emploied in navigation, and who actually pay towards the support of Greenwich hospital, out of their wages, shall, and are hereby exempted from being listed as tithables; and from paying any public, county, or parish levy. Any law, usage, or custom, to the contrary, notwithstanding. | Mariners exempted from paying levy. | |
CHAP. IX. | ||
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I. WHEREAS, divers sherifs, and other officers, out of an evil design, upon writs of fieri facias, for small debts, have frequently seised slaves, and other estate of the defendants, of much greater value than the debt; and the collectors of officers fees, and of the public, county, and parish levies, have practised the same, in the distresses made by them, for such fees and levies; and some collectors of the parish levies, | Preamble. |
after the year in which the levies ought to have been paid, have brought suits for the same, in the name of the churchwardens; and after judgment, have taken the body of the debtor in execution, although sufficient distress for such levies might have been had; to the great oppression, damage, and loss of many of his majesty's good subjects; For remedy of which abuses, for the future, | |
II. Be it enacted, by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That no sheriff, or other officer, to whom any writ of fieri facias shall be directed, shall hereafter take in execution any slave or slaves, unless the debt and costs, mentioned in such fieri facias, shall amount to the sum of ten pounds, or two thousand pounds of tobacco; provided there shall be shewn to such sheriff, or other officer, by the defendant, or any other person, sufficient goods and chattels of such defendant, within the bailiwick of such sheriff, or other officer, upon which he may levy the debt and costs mentioned in such fieri facias. And that no collector of any officers fees, or of any public, county, or parish levies, shall hereafter seise or make distress upon the slave or slaves of any person, for such fees or levies, if other sufficient distress can be had: And that no sheriff, or other officer, or collector of fees or levies, shall make or take unreasonable seisures or distresses. And if any sheriff, or other collector of fees or levies, as aforesaid, shall act contrary hereto; such sheriff, officer, or collector, shall be liable to the action of the party grieved, grounded upon this act; wherein the plaintiff shall recover his full costs, although the damages given, do not exceed forty shillings. | Slaves not to be taken in execution for less than 10l. |
III. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That no action or suit shall, hereafter, at any time, be brought for any parish levies, where distress may be had for the same: And that were any such levies shall not be paid to, or received by, the collector of the same, in the year in which such levies ought to be paid, it shall and may be lawful, to and for any succeeding collector of the parish levy, to make distress for the same, at any time, within three years after such levies first became due, and not afterwards. And that it shall not be lawful for any justice of the peace, at any | No action to be brought for levies or fees. No justice to grant a Ca. Sa. |
time hereafter, to grant an execution upon any judgment given by him, out of court, against the body of the debtor, or defendant. any law usage, or custom, to the contrary, in any wise, notwithstanding. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CHAP. X. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I. BE it enacted, by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That from and after the commencement of this act, it shall and may be lawful, to and for the secretary of this colony, for the time being, and all county court clerks, sherifs, coroners, constables, and surveyors, respectively, to demand, receive, and take, the several fees herein after mentioned and allowed, for any business by them respectively done, by virtue of their several offices; and no other fees whatsoever: (that is to say,) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Secretary's fees. |
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Which said several fees herein before expressed, shall be charged to the party at whose instance the business shall be performed, except where it is otherwise directed. And that the fees herein after mentioned, and allowed to the secretary, shall be charged to the several counties respectively, for whose service the business shall be performed; and shall be, by the justices, levied on the inhabitants thereof: (that is to say,) | ||||||||||||||
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Clerk's fees. |
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II. And, if any plaintiff or defendant, or his or her attorney, shall take out copies of his or her own declaration or pleadings, or of his or her own papers in any cause, or of any common order made in such cause, the charge of such copies shall not be allowed in the bill of costs, although such party recover: And where more attornies than one, shall be emploied in any cause, on one side, if such attornies take out more than one copy | Rule in taxing costs. |
of any thing necessarily relating to the suit, yet no more than one copy shall be allowed in the bill of costs, neither shall the clerk tax any fee in the bill of costs, for entring more than one attorney, although costs shall be adjudged against the adverse party. | ||||
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III. And when any person or persons presented by the grand-jury, or churchwardens, shall be discharged of any such presentment, the clerk shall charge no fees for the same, or any matter relating thereto; but the same shall be deemed to be included in the public services: But if the party or parties so presented, shall be convict; then, in such case, the clerk shall charge him, her, or them so convict, with all the fees accruing thereon. | Presentments. | |||
IV. And, to the end all persons chargeable with the paiment of any of the fees aforesaid, may certainly know for what the same are charged, Be it further enacted, That none of the fees herein before mentioned, shall be paiable by any person whatsoever, until there shall be produced, or ready to be produced, unto the person owing, or chargeable with the same, a bill or account, in writing, containing the particulars of such fees, signed by the clerk or officer to whom such fees shall be due, or by whom the same shall be chargeable, respectively; in which said bill or account, is and shall be expressed, in words at length, and in the same manner as the fees aforesaid, are allowed by this act, every fee, for which any money or tobacco is or shall be demanded. | Fee bills to be produced. |
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Sheriff's fees. |
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V. And when any person or persons presented by the grand jury, shall be discharged of such presentment, the sheriff shall charge no fees for the same; but it shall be deemed to be included in the public services: But if the party or parties so presented, shall be convict; then, in such case, the sheriff shall charge him, her, or them, so convict, with all the fees accruing thereon. | Presentments. | ||||||||||||||||
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Coroner's fees. | ||||||||||||||||
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Constable's fees. | ||||||||||||||||
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Surveyor's fees. | ||||||||||||||||
For every survey of land formerly patented, and which |
shall be required to be re-surveied, and for a plat thereof, delivered as aforsaid, the same fee as for land not before surveied. And where a survey shall be made, of any lands which are to be added to other lands, in an inclusive patent, the surveior shall not be paid a second fee for the land first surveied; but shall only receive what the survey of the additional lands shall amount to. And where any surveior shall have actually made surveys of several parcels of land adjoining, and delivered several plats, if the party shall desire one inclusive plat thereof, the surveior shall make out such plat for ten shillings. | |
VI. Provided always, and be it enacted, That were any person shall employ a surveior, and shall have received a plat of the lands surveied, and afterwards shall assign the land to any other, either before or after obtaining a patent for the same; if such person, for whom the land was first surveied, shall not have paid for the said survey, it shall and may be lawful, for the sheriff of any county, wherein such assignee shall reside at the instance of such surveior, to make distress upon the slaves, goods and chattels of such assignee, in like manner, as is herein after provided, for surveiors, or other officers fees, refused or delayed to be paid. | Land assigned. |
VII. And be it further enacted, That the clerk of the secretary's office shall cause to be set up, in some public place in that office, and there constantly kept, a fair table of the secretary's fees, herein before mentioned; on pain of forfeiting two thousand pounds of tobacco, for every general court day, the said table shall be missing, through his neglect. And that the clerk of every county court shall, in like manner, set up a fair table of all the other fees, herein before mentioned, in the court-house of his county; to be there constantly kept, on pain of forfeiting one thousand pounds of tobacco, for every court day the same shall be missing, through his neglect. Both which penalties shall be to the person or persons who shall inform or sue for the same; and shall or may be recovered in any court of record, within this dominion, by action of debt, or information. | Table of fees to be set up. |
VIII. And that if any officer whatsoever, hath heretofore taken any greater fee, than was by the laws then in force allowed, or hereafter shall claim, charge, demand, exact, or take any more or greater fees for any | Penalty for overcharging. |
writing, or other business by him done, within the purview of this act, than herein before set down, and ascertained; or if any officer shall charge, or demand and take any of the fees herein before mentioned, where the business for which such fees are chargeable, shall not have been actually done and performed, to be proved by the fee book of such office, upon his corporal oath; such officer, for every such offence, shall forfeit and pay to the party injured, besides such fee or fees, two hundred pounds of tobacco for every particular article or fee so unjustly charged, or demanded, or taken: To be recovered, with costs, in any court of record within this dominion, by action of debt, or information; provided the same be sued for, within twelve months after the offence shall be committed. | |
IX. Provided always, That nothing herein contained, shall be construed to inflict any penalty on any of the said officers, for demanding and taking the fees respectively allowed to be taken by them, by one act of assembly, made in the tenth year of his majesty's reign, intituled, An act, for the better regulating and collecting certain officers fees; and for other purposes therein mentioned; at any time before the publication of this act, for which two months after the commencement thereof, is allowed. | Proviso. |
X. And for the better collecting the said tobacco fees, Be it further enacted, That the clerk of the secretary's office, and of every county court respectively, and every surveyor, shall, annually, before the twentieth day of January, deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the sheriff of every county in this colony, respectively; their accounts of fees due from any person or persons residing therein, which shall be signed by the clerks or surveiors respectively; and the said sheriff is hereby required and impowered to receive such accounts; and to collect, levy, and receive the several quantities of tobacco therein charged of the persons chargeable therewith: And if such person or persons, after the said fees shall be so demanded, shall refuse or delay to pay the same, 'til after the tenth day of April, in any year, the sheriff of that county, wherein such person inhabits, or of the county in which such fees become due, shall have full power, and is hereby required to make distress and sale of the slaves, or goods and chattels of the party so refusing or delaying paiment, either in that | Accounts of fees to be delivered to the sheriffs. |
county where such person inhabits, or where the said fees became due: And the sheriff of any county, for all fees which shall remain due and unpaid after the said tenth day of April, in any year, either to himself, or the sheriff of another county, which shall be put into his hands to collect, as aforesaid, is hereby authorised and impowered to make distress and sale of goods and chattels of the party refusing or delaying paiment, in the same manner, as for other fees due to any of the officers herein before mentioned. But no action, suit, petition, or warrant, from a justice, shall be had or maintained for secretary's, county court clerks, or surveyor's fees; unless the sheriff shall return, that the person owing, or chargeable with such fees, hath not sufficient, within his bailiwick, whereon to make distress; except where the clerk, or other officer aforesaid, shall have lost his fee book, by fire, or other misfortune, so that he be hindered from putting his fees into the sheriff's hands to collect; and in that case, any suit or warrant may be had and maintained for the recovery thereof. And if any sheriff shall be sued for any thing by him done, in pursuance of this act, he may plead the general issue, and give this act in evidence. | |
XI. That the sheriff of every county shall, upon or before the last day of May, in every year, account with the secretary, or his agent, and the clerk of the respective county courts, and the respective surveyors, for all fees put into his hands, pursuant to this act, and pay the same, abating six per cent, for collecting: And the secretary is hereby required to appoint an agent in every county, to receive the sheriff's account, and all tobacco due to him. And if any sheriff shall refuse to account, or pay the whole account of fees put into his hands, after the deductions, aforesaid, are made, together with an allowance of what is charged to persons not dwelling or having no visible estate in his county, it shall and may be lawful for the secretary, or clerk, or surveyor, upon a motion made in the next succeeding general court, or in the court of the county of such sheriff, to demand judgment against such sheriff, for all fees wherewith he shall be chargeable, by virtue of this act; and such court is hereby authorised and required to give judgment accordingly, and to award execution thereupon; provided the sheriff have ten days previous notice of such motion. | Sheriff's to account. |
XII. And be it further enacted, That the respective county courts, in every cause, except where the same shall be brought by petition, where the plaintiff shall recover, or be nonsuit; or where his suit shall be dismissed, shall allow in the bill of costs fifteen shillings, or one hundred and fifty pounds of tobacco, for an attorney's fee, if the party emploied one; except against executors or administrators, or where the plaintiff may not recover more costs than damages. | Attorney's fee to be taxed. |
XIII. And be it further enacted, That this act shall continue and be in force from the end of this session of assembly, and remain in force four years, and from thence to the end of the next session of assembly; and shall be deemed a public act. | In force for four years,&c. |
Pages 16-35 | Pages 54-72 |