A. D. 1776. bills of credit. I. Be it enacted by His Excellency John Rutledge, Esq., President and Commander-in-chief in and over the Colony of South Carolina, and by the honorable the Legislative Council and General Assembly of this Colony, and by the authority of the same, That any person or persons who shall counterfeit, raze or alter any of the said notes or certificates, Penalty on issued, as aforesaid, by the late Commons Houses of Assembly of this counterfeiting Colony, or any of the said certificates or bills of credit issued, or to be certificates or issued under the authority of the late Congresses of this Colony, or any of the notes, orders, certificates or bills of credit issued, or which shall be hereafter issued by the continental Congress, or shall utter or offer them, or either or any of them, in payment, knowing the same to be counterfeited, razed or altered, and every person and persons who shall assist, abet, or procure the counterfeiting, razing or altering any or either of the notes, certificates, orders or bills of credit abovementioned, being thereof duly convicted, is and are hereby declared and deemed guilty of felony, and shall suffer death as a felon, without the benefit of clergy. G. G. POWELL, Speaker of the Legislative Council. In the Council Chamber, the 9th day of April, 1776. Assented to: J. RUTLEDGE. No. 1014. AN ACT FOR THE Preamble. MORE EFFECTUAL PREVENTION OF THE DESERTION of the SoldiERS AND SAILORS IN THE SERVICE OF THIS COLONY, AND FOR THE PUNISHMENT OF THOSE WHO SHALL HARBOUR AND CONCEAL WHEREAS, the interests of this Colony may be prejudiced by the desertion of any of the soldiers and sailors in the service thereof, inasmuch as the publick may not only be defrauded thereby of the bounty money given on the enlistment of such soldiers and sailors, but may be deprived of that service which they might justly expect from them, on account of the time and pains taken to train them, the clothing, pay and rations allowed them, and the glorious cause they are engaged in; and the militia, on account of such desertion, may be obliged to be draughted more frequently and in greater numbers than they otherwise would be, to the great expense, fatigue and trouble of the freeholders and good people of this Colony; and whereas, the said desertions may be much encouraged by the said soldiers and sailors being harboured and concealed by divers persons in different parts of the country; now, for the effectual prevention of such desertions, and for the apprehending those who may desert from the army or navy, in the service of this Colony, and for the punishment of such person or persons who shall harbour or conceal any soldier or sailor who shall absent himself from his regiment, troop, company or vessel, without leave first had and obtained from the officer or officers duly authorized to grant the same, or who shall desert therefrom, I. Be it enacted, by His Excellency John Rutledge, Esq., President and Commander-in-chief in and over the Colony of South Carolina, and by the honorable the Legislative Council and General Assembly of this Colony, and by the authority of the same, That all and every person and A. D. 1776. deserters. persons who, at any time after the passing of this Act, shall knowingly or wittingly harbour or conceal any soldier or sailor belonging to any regular regiment, troop, company or vessel in the service of this Colony, who shall Penalty on be absent therefrom without a furlough or permit, signed by a field officer concealing of the regiment, or captain of the troop, company or vessel to which he belongs, shall forfeit for every such offence the sum of twenty pounds current money to the person or persons who shall inform and sue for the same; and the said penalty may be recovered, levied and distrained for, by warrant from any one justice of the peace of the district where the offence shall be committed. II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every free white person within this Colony shall be, and is hereby, impowered Any free white and required to apprehend and secure any soldier or sailor that he shall person may apprehend desertknow to be a deserter, or who shall not have such permit or furlough, as ers. above mentioned. Reward for 01 their apprehen III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every person who shall apprehend and secure any deserter or fugitive soldier sailor, and shall bring or cause him to be brought to the regiment, troop, sion. company or vessel to which he belongs, shall receive, as a reward for the same, fifty pounds current money, and two shillings and six pence like money, in full of mileage, for every mile from the place where he takes to the place where he delivers such soldier or sailor, and also in full of diet and all other charges, to be paid by the commanding officer of the regiment, troop, company, detachment or vessel to which such deserter shall belong; and such officer shall be reimbursed for the same out of the public treasury of this Colony. without a IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every Soldiers and person keeping a ferry within this Colony, who shall wilfully transport or sailors not to suffer to be transported any soldier or sailor not having such permit or cross ferries furlough as before mentioned, shall forfeit and pay the sum of twenty permit. pounds current money for every such offence, to him or them who shall inform and sue for the same; the said penalty to be sued for and recovered as aforesaid, before any justice of the peace in the district where the offender shall reside. any arms, ac V. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all and every person and persons who shall knowingly and wittingly buy, receive No person shall or conceal the arms, accoutrements or clothing of any soldier or sailor in buy or conceal the service of this Colony, shall forfeit for every such offence the sum of coutrements or fifty pounds current money, one moiety to the publick of this Colony, and clothing of solthe other moiety to him or them who shall sue for the same; the said penalty to be sued for and recovered before any two justices of the peace, in the district where the offender shall reside. VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That this Act shall continue and be of force for and during the term of one year, and to the end of the then next session of the General Assembly, and no longer; and shall be deemed a publick Act, and shall be taken notice of, without pleading the same, by all judges, justices, magistrates and courts within this Colony. G. G. POWELL, Speaker of the Legislative Council. In the Council Chamber, the 9th day of April, 1776. Assented to: J. RUTLEDGE. diers or sailors. Limitation of this Act. A. D. 1776. No. 1015. AN ACT to increase the number of Fire Masters in Charlestown, and to impower any three of them to pull down any such houses or other buildings as they shall adjudge necessary for the stopping and preventing the spreading of fire; and for altering and repealing such parts of an Act as is therein mentioned. (Passed April 9, 1776. See last volume.) No. 1016. AN ORDINANCE TO REPEAL PART OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, PASSED THE 23d DAY OF FEBRUARY, 1771, APPOINTING HENRY PERONNEAU AND BENJAMIN DART, Esqs. JOINT PUBLIC TREASURERS, AND TO APPOINT COMMISSIONERS TO TAKE A STATE OF THE TREASURY; AND ALSO TO IMPOWER THE SAID COMMISSIONERS To settle : THE ACCOUNTS OF THE LATE POWDER RECEIVER. Preamble. WHEREAS, by an Ordinance of the General Assembly, passed the twenty-third day of February, one thousand seven hundred and seventyone, Henry Peronneau and Benjamin Dart, Esqs. are thereby declared and ordained to be joint publick treasurers of this Colony, to all intents and purposes whatsoever; and whereas, it is expedient and necessary to repeal the said Ordinance; 1. Be it therefore ordained, by His Excellency John Rutledge, Esq., President and Commander-in-chief in and over the Colony of South Carolina, and by the honorable the Legislative Council and General Assembly Part of a former of the said Colony, and by the authority of the same, That that part of the said Ordinance by which Henry Peronneau and Benjamin Dart, Esqs. are appointed joint public treasurers of this Colony, be, and the same is hereby, repealed, and declared to be null and void, to all intents and purposes whatsoever. Ordinance repealed. II. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That Gideon Commissioners Dupont, Roger Smith and George Abbott Hall, Esqs. be, and are hereby of the treasury appointed, commissioners, and authorized and impowered to examine and appointed. audit all accounts and reckonings whatsoever with the said Henry Peron Their powers and duties. neau and Benjamin Dart, as treasurers aforesaid, and respecting the treasury in this Colony, so far as relates to the transactions of them, the said Henry Peronneau and Benjamin Dart, and to demand and receive from the said Henry Peronneau and Benjamin Dart, Esqs., all the monies and securities for money that shall be in their hands, power or possession, as treasurers, and also the books of accounts belonging to the treasury; and after examination and auditing of such accounts, and receiving such monies and securities for money, and books, as aforesaid, the said commissioners are hereby directed and enjoined to pay and deliver into the hands of the commissioners of the treasury, or of one of them, all such monies, securities for money, and books, and also to make a return and report of the state of such accounts, and of the said monies, securities for money, and books, to the General Assembly of this Colony then sitting or next to sit; which General Assembly, or any other General Assembly, upon its appearing to them that the said Henry Peronneau and Benjamin Dart have duly and fully discharged their trust, shall have power, and they are hereby authorized and impowered, to order and direct the bonds and securities given by the said Henry Peronneau and Benjamin Dart respectively, for the due A.D. 1776. execution of their office, to be delivered up and cancelled. counts of the receiver. III. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the said Commissioners Gideon Dupont, Roger Smith and George Abbott Hall, Esqs. be, and to examine and they are hereby appointed, commissioners, and authorized and impowered audit the acto examine and audit all accounts and reckonings with James Reid, Esq. late powder as the late powder receiver of this Colony, and to demand and receive from the said James Reid, all the monies and securities for money that shall be in his hands, power or possession, as powder receiver; and after examination and auditing of such accounts and receiving such monies and securities for money, the said commissioners are hereby directed and enjoined to make a return and report of the state of such accounts, and of the said monies, securities for money, and books, to the General Assembly of this Colony then sitting or next to sit, and to pay the monies which they shall so receive into the treasury of this Colony. G. G. POWELL, Speaker of the Legislative Council. In the Council Chamber, the 9th day of April, 1776. AN ACT TO PREVENT SEDITION, AND PUNISH INSURGENTS AND DISTURB No. 1017. ERS OF THE PUBLIC PEACE. WHEREAS, a horrid and unnatural war is now carried on by the Ministry and Parliament of Great Britain against the United Colonies of North America in general, and this Colony in particular, with a cruel and oppressive design of robbing the Colonies and good people of this Colony of their dearest and most valuable rights as freemen, and reducing them to a state of the most abject slavery and oppression; and whereas, also, Preamble. in order further to accomplish the said impious and unwarrantable designs, every means has been adopted, by a wicked Administration, to sow civil dissensions and animosities, and to create disorder, confusion and bloodshed amongst the good people of this Colony, by employing secret emissaries to stir up in the minds of wicked and evil-disposed persons, persuasions and principles inimical to the ties of humanity and the common rights of mankind, and thereby inducing them not only to disturb the common peace, safety and good order of this Colony, but to take up arms and spill the blood of their fellow-citizens, who are only acting in the defence of their lives, liberties and properties, against the murderous hands of a lawless and despotiek power; to the intent, therefore, and in order the more effectually to preserve and secure the peace, order and good government of this Colony, and to deter and prevent such evil-minded persons from committing such offences, and all such other offences declared in this Act, to the great danger of the lives, liberties and properties of the inhabitants of this Colony, I. Be it enacted, by his Excellency John Rutledge, Esq., President and Commander-in-chief in and over the Colony of South Carolina, and by the honorable the Legislative Council and General Assembly of this Colony, and by the authority of the same, That if any person or persons within this Colony do or shall, from and immediately after the passing of this Act, A. D. 1776. Persons taking up arms, or causing others to do so,against the Colonial Government, deemed guilty of felony. Giving intelligence to or take up arms with a hostile intent, and by force and violence, or by words, II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any person or persons within this Colony shall, immediately after the passing holding inter- of this Act, or at any time thereafter, by letter, writing, message, or other course with the means of intelligence, hold any correspondence or intercourse, conspire clared felony. or concert, in any manner whatever, with, or aid or abet any land or naval enemy, de enemy with bills of exchange, provisions, &c. felony. force, raised or to be raised, or which shall be sent by Great Britain in a hostile manner against this Colony, or any other force or body of men within this Colony, who shall, in a hostile intent or manner, op pose the power and authority of the present Government of this Colony, established as aforesaid, with intent to promote the accomplishment of any hostile plan of operation designed by such force or forces, against the lives, liberties or properties of all or any of the inhabitants and friends to the constitution of this Colony, established as aforesaid, every such person or persons so offending in any of the said offences, shall, on being indicted and convicted thereof by due course of law, be deemed and adjudged guilty of felony, and suffer death, without benefit of clergy. III. And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any person Supplying the or persons within this Colony shall, immediately after the passing of this Act, or at any time thereafter, furnish or supply, or cause or procure to be furnished or supplied, with any bills of exchange, monies, goods, provisions, liquors or other necessary articles of subsistence, or any military or naval stores whatever, any of the land or naval forces, raised or to be raised or sent by Great Britain, or any authority derived from that Government, against this Colony, or shall, in like manner, furnish or supply, or cause to be furnished or supplied, any force or body of men who shall, in a hostile manner, oppose the Government of this Colony, established as aforesaid, every such person or persons so offending in either of the offences aforesaid, and the aider and abettor, or aiders and abettors of any of the said offences, shall, on being indicted and convicted thereof by due course of law, be deemed and adjudged guilty of felony, and suffer death, without benefit of clergy. IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any Exciting any person or persons within this Colony shall, at any time after the passperson to co- ing of this Act, compel, induce, persuade, or attempt to compel, induce or persuade, any white person or persons, or any free negro or negroes, deemed felony, mulatto or mulattoes, Indian or Indians, to desert from their habitation or habitations, or any negro or other slave or slaves to desert from his operate with the enemy, |