culty shall arise either in ascertaining the value, or in obtaining payment or proper certificates or vouchers therefor, it shall be the duty of the State agent or his assistant, upon application in writing, of any such person to agree with the quartermaster or his deputy on the value of such article, or cause appraisment thereof to be made as aforesaid, and to receive payment or proper certificates or vouchers therefor, to the use of the said person or persons, to whom he shall pay or deliver the same. etc., sequestered to be ascertained. VI. And it is hereby further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the State agent be, and is hereby directed Value of wheat by witnesses or otherwise, to ascertain in the best manner in his power, the quantity and value of the wheat, forage, pasture, firewood and timber, sequestered or forfeited to the people of this State, which has been supplied by this State to the United States, or which has been taken or made use of by the army of the United States in this State, for which no account has been made or rendered or voucher given, in order that the same may be charged by this State to the United States. commence suits. V. And it is hereby further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That after the passing of this act, no suit shall be Agent not to commenced by the State agent in pursuance of the act, entitled "An act to procure supplies for the use of the army, and to prevent a monopoly of cattle within this State, and more effectually to prevent supplies of cattle to the enemy," passed the twenty fourth of June, seventeen hundred and eighty: and that the said State agent shall not commence any suit against any person, whose house barn or crop of grain has been destroyed by the enemy since the twenty seventh day of March seventeen hundred and eighty one, and whose name shall be delivered to the assistant State agent, by the respective supervisors of the different districts, for any tax or assessments made in pursuance of an act entitled "An act for procuring a quantity of wheat by an equal tax in kind," passed March twenty seventh seventeen hundred and eighty one, or in pursuance of the act entitled "An act for obtaining a supply of flour for the army," passed the twenty ninth day of June last. LAWS OF NORTH CAROLINA. [Printed from "The State Records of North Carolina," published under the supervision of the trustees of the Public Libraries, by order of the General Assembly, collected and edited by Walter Clark, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina, Vol. XXIV (Laws 1777-1788), printed by Nash Bros., Book and Job Printers, Goldsboro, N. C., 1905]. SESSION BEGINNING APRIL 14, 1778. [1777, p. 113, 116]. An act to amend an act entitled, An act to establish the militia in this SEC. XVIII. Be it further enacted, that no officer or soldier of the militia or regulars in the state shall press any wagon, cart or horse, arms or other things, or anything whatsoever, unless authorized thereto by warrant under the hands and seals of two justices of the peace [not being militia officers then in actual service] of the county where such press shall be necessary, and any officer or soldier before he shall press anything as aforesaid, shall demand the sale peaceably from the owner or possessor thereof, and in case of refusal, shall produce his warrant aforesaid before he proceeds to press, and if the owner or possessor shall still refuse the thing demanded, it shall be lawful to press the same; and every officer or soldier who shall offend against this act, shall forfeit and pay ten pounds for every such offense to the person injured and be liable to the action or actions of the party aggrieved, to be recovered before any jurisdiction having recognizance thereof; and everything so pressed or obtained shall be valued by two indifferent persons, on oath, and a certificate of the valuation given by such valuers to the owner or possessor from whom the same shall be pressed or obtained, in order that if the same shall not be restored to the owner or possessor, he may be allowed such valuation by the public. [1778, p. 168] CHAPTER XII. An Act to prohibit the Exportation of Beef, Pork, Bacon, and Indian Corn. I. Whereas the Scarcity of Provisions in this State renders it necessary to lay an Embargo on the Exportation of Beef, Pork, Bacon, and Indian Corn; II. Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina, and it is hereby Enacted by the Authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this Act, no Beef, Pork, Bacon, or Indian Corn, shall be exported out of this State, by Land or by Water, by any Person whatever, except only such as shall be sent thereout for the support of the continental Army, or of any Troops sent out of this State, by the Agents, Contractors or Commissaries, acting under Appointments from this State, or the United States, or any of them, and except also such Quantity as may be necessary for the Crew of any Vessel going out upon a Voyage or Cruize, and such as may be purchased by the Agents of the United States, or any of them, as Sea Stores for any Vessels sailing on a Voyage or Cruize in the Service of the said United States, or any of them: And any Person who shall export, or endeavour to export, any Beef, Pork, Bacon, or Corn, contrary to this Act, by Water, shall forfeit the Provisions so endeavoured or attempted to be exported, and the Vessel wherein the same shall be found; and the several Naval Officers in their respective Ports, and the Justices of Peace in the Counties contiguous to Navigation, are hereby authorized and expressly required to seize the same in the Name of this State, and upon Recovery had, such Provisions and Cargo shall be sold, and the Money arising from the Sale applied, one Half to the Use of the State, the other Half to the Use of the Person suing for the same: And any Person who shall export, or attempt to export, any Beef, Pork, Bacon, or Corn, by Land contrary to this Act, shall upon Conviction forfeit and pay double the Value of such Provision; to be recovered by, and to the sole Use of any Person who shall sue for the same, in any Court having Cognizance thereof. III. And be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Justice of Peace, from his own Knowledge, or the Information of others, shall have just Cause to suspect that any Pork, Beef, Bacon, or Corn, is about to be carried out of this State contrary to this Act, he may issue his Warrant for seizing the same; and if the Owner shall not give Security within Twenty Days after such Seizure, that he will not carry or send the same out of this State, such Justice may either retain such Provisions for Public Use, or cause the same to be sold at Public Vendue, for the Benefit, and at the Expence of the Owner: And this Act shall be in Force until the next Session of General Assembly, and no longer. SESSION BEGINNING APRIL 17, 1780. [1780, p. 318] CHAPTER IV. An Act for the More Effectually Preventing Engrossing and Forestalling for the Encouragement of Commerce and the Fair Trader, and for other purposes therein mentioned. I. Whereas of late the currency of this and the United States hath been depreciated, the necessaries of life rendered scarce, and the prices of every thing raised to the most extravagant height; all which evils and many more have originated from the wicked arts of a set of men called speculators; who regardless of every thing but their own illicit gain spread themselves over the country forestalling and engrossing the necessary articles of life and of commerce: For remedy whereof, II. Be it enacted by the general assembly of the state of North Carolina, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, that from and after the first day of June next ensuing, it shall not be lawful for any person or persons to sell or retail for profit (except as herein after excepted) any kind of imported articles except the same shall have been imported from beyond seas on his or their own account, or shall have been consigned to him or them from beyond the seas, under the penalty of forfeiting one hundred thousand pounds for every offence. III. And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that it shall not be lawful for any person or persons to purchase or contract for any kind of article of the growth or production of this state except for his, her or their own family's use and consumption, and except the same shall be purchased for the express purpose of exporting the same on his or their own account within the space of eighty days thereafter; and if any person shall purchase any such articles except for his, her or their own family use and consumption, and shall not export the same within eighty days as aforesaid (unavoidable accidents only excepted) he or they so offending shall forfeit all such articles and shall also pay for every such offence the sum of one hundred thousand pounds. Provided, that nothing in this act contained shall be construed to prevent persons buying imported or other articles necessary for the carrying on his, her or their particular manufactory or occupation. IV. And in order the better to secure to the good people of this State a plentiful supply of all the necessaries of life, be it further enacted, That if any person or persons shall export, or attempt to export, to any of the other states, either by land or by water, any article whatever first imported into this state, he or they so offending shall forfeit all such goods so attempted to be transported and shall further forfeit and pay the sum of one hundred thousand pounds for each and every offence. Provided, nevertheless, that nothing herein contained shall be construed to debar the masters or owners of vessels belonging to any of the other United States from leaving this state with their cargoes, provided they do not break bulk in this said state. And in order the more effectually to carry the good purposes of this act into effect, V. Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if any person whatsoever shall presume to purchase up any articles imported or of the production of this state contrary to the true intent and meaning hereof, it shall and may be lawful for any magistrate, and he is hereby required on having information thereof, to issue his warrant and summon a force sufficient for seizing and securing all such engrossed articles, and he shall make return of his proceedings to the next court of his county, who shall thereupon hear and determine in a summary way the merits of the case, and if it shall appear to the said court that such person or persons had purchased such articles in violation of the true intent and meaning of this act, the said articles shall be condemned as forfeited, and shall be sold at public auction by the sheriff of the said county, one half to the informer the other half to the use of this state. VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all the penalties by this act imposed shall be and enure in all cases, one half to the informer the other half to the use of this state, and it may be sued for in any court of record in the state. VII. Provided nevertheless, that nothing in this act contained shall prevent any inhabitant of this state, having obtained a license from three justices, from purchasing any kind of imported articles from the original importer |