the field officers of the battalion or any three of them and a private of the company to which such associator at the time when he or his widow and children became so entitled did belong shall certify the particular circumstances of the said associator or his wife (or of his widow and children if he should be killed) to the future assembly of this state in order to enable them to fulfil the intent of this ordinance.

And to this end that the said four shillings in the pound and the said monthly fines of twenty shillings may be duly assessed, levied, collected and paid for the purposes hereinbefore mentioned:

[Section V.] Be it further ordained and declared by the authority aforesaid, That Jacob Morgan, Joseph Moulder and Jacob Bright be and are hereby appointed commissioners, and that Isaac Snowden, James Milligan, Michael Schubart, Benjamin Harbeson, William Will and William Hollingshead assessors for the city of Philadelphia.

That Thomas Potts, Samuel Erwin and John Williams be and are hereby appointed commissioners; and that John Brown, William Robinson, Samuel Ingle, Andrew Knox, Henry Derringer and Isaac Hughes, assessors for the county of Philadelphia who or a majority of them shall be a board of commissioners and assessors for the county of Philadelphia.

And that James Benezet, Captain William Roberts and Abraham Middleswarts be and are hereby appointed commissioners; and that Gilliam Cornet, Abraham Britton, James Wallace, Thomas Armstrong, Benjamin Sagal and George McIlroy, assessors for the county of Bucks, who or a majority of them shall be a board of commissioners and assessors for the county of Bucks.

And that Thomas Levis, William Evans and Thomas Taylor be and are hereby appointed commissioners; and that Caleb Davis, Richard Thomas, David Cloyd, Benjamin Brennon, Thomas Evans and Joseph Gardner, assessors for the county of Chester, who or a majority of them shall be a board of commissioners and assessors for the county of Chester.

And that Alexander Martin, Christian Wirtz and Casper Snevely be and are hereby appointed commissioners; and that

John Bokenstose, John Rowland, Philip Greenwalt, Thomas Clark, of Dromore, Caspar Shaffner and John Pemmison, the younger, assessors for the county of Lancaster, who or a majority of them shall be a board of commissioners and assessors for the county of Lancaster.

And that Peter Wolf, John Nesbit and Archibald McClean be and are hereby appointed commissioners; and that Patrick Scott, Benjamin Pidon, Frederick Wolf, John Agnew, Christopher Lowman and James Dill, assessors for the county of York, who or a majority of them shall be a board of commissioners and assessors for the county of York.

And that Patrick Maxwell, Samuel Leard and James Pollock be and are hereby appointed commissioners; and that Henry Polling, John Davis, James Lyon, Alexander Morrow, John Carson and William Rippey, assessors for the county of Cumberland, who or a majority of them shall be a board of commissioners and assessors for the county of Cumberland.

And that Henry Reitmeyer, Christian Lower, and Mordecai Lincoln be and are hereby appointed commissioners; and that Conrad Hershner, the elder, Nicholas Jones, Frederick Mayerle, George Kelchner, Warner Stam and John Robinson, assessors for the county of Berks, who or a majority of them shall be a board of commissioners and assessors for the county of Berks.

And that Peter Burkhalter, Jacob Opp and Henry Lawald be and are hereby appointed commissioners; and that Peter Koler, Abraham Arndt, Benjamin Dupui, Peter Haas, Peter Beisel and John Van Camp, assessors for the county of Northampton, who or a majority of them shall be a board of commissioners and assessors for the county of Northampton.

And that Charles Cissna, Edward Coomb and John Cissna be and are hereby appointed commissioners; and that Matthew Patton, Harman Husbands, William Todd, William Parker, William Phillips and Benamin Elliot, assessors for the county of Bedford, who or a majority of them shall be a board of commissioners and assessors for the county of Bedford.

And that Thomas Hewitt, William Gray and John Weitzel be and are hereby appointed commissioners; and that Jonathan Loudge, Walker Clark, Peter Holsterman, James Harrison,

Nicholas Miller and Jacob Heverlan, assessors for the county of Northumberland, who or a majority of them shall be a board of commissioners and assessors for the county of Northumberland.

And that Robert Hanna, James Cavat and James Pollock be and are hereby appointed commissioners; and that William Elliott, John Shields, Samuel Moorhead, James McClean, James Beard and Christopher Truby, assessors of the county of Westmoreland, who or a majority of them shall be a board of commissioners and assessors for the county of Westmoreland; who shall meet at the court-houses of their several and respective counties on Monday the fourteenth day of October next ensuing or as soon after as they can conveniently meet, and appoint proper persons to make returns to them of all the non-associators in their respective districts on or before the second Monday of November next ensuing.

[Section VI.] And be it further ordained and declared by the authority aforesaid, That the said commissioners and assessors shall have all the powers, authorities and jurisdictions which any commissioners and assessors heretofore enjoyed under the late laws of the province of Pennsylvania and shall proceed in raising, levying and collecting the said sum of four shillings in the pound and twenty shillings per month in the same manner and under the same appeals, rates, directions, penalties and forfeitures in all respects as in and by the several [late of] laws of the late government of Pennsylvania which were in force on the first day of July last for raising, levying, collecting and paying the assessments and taxes of said government, saving and excepting only such parts of the same laws as are hereby altered or supplied.

[Section VII.] And be it further ordained and declared by the authority aforesaid, That the direction in the said laws shall be effectual to all intents and purposes for raising, levying, collecting, securing and accounting for the said rates and sums of money and for levying and recovering the penalties and forfeitures and all other matters and things thereunto belonging as fully and effectually as if the same were particularly and at large repeated and inserted in this ordinance except in such cases as are herein ascertained, provided for or altered.

[Section VIII.] And be it further ordained and declared by the authority aforesaid, That the commissioners on any appeal from the rate or assessment of twenty shillings per month may remit the whole or any part thereof in case of the poverty, sickness or bodily [in] inability to labor of the non-associator, or other such case as would exempt an associator from mustering or marching when duly called thereto, but in no other case whatever.

And whereas persons above fifty years of age are exempted from personal service by reason of their inability to bear the fatigue of military duty; yet it is but just and reasonable that they should contribute towards the security of their property:

[Section IX.] Be it therefore ordained and declared by the authority aforesaid, That all and every such person above the age of fifty years shall pay the like sum of four shillings in the pound on the annual value of their estates.

Provided always, That this tax shall not be levied on or paid by any such person above fifty years of age who shall have one or more sons who are associators, unmarried and residing with his or their father.

And provided also, That if any person above the age of fifty years who shall be judged by the commanding officer of the battalion fit for military duty shall voluntarily enter into the association, then and in such case such person shall be exempted from paying the said tax.

And provided also, That nothing herein contained shall prevent or obstruct the levying, collecting and paying the fines heretofore set on non-associators by the late assembly but the same shall be collected under the same penalties, in the same manner and by the same persons as are mentioned and appointed to levy and collect the moneys to be raised by virtue of this ordinance.

Passed September 14, 1776. See Appendix XXXV, and the Act of Assembly passed December 26, 1777, Chapter 773. By a Resolution of Assembly passed September 26, 1776, it was declared that the taxes imposed by the ordinance in the text were illegal, and ought not to be paid. (Votes of Assembly, Vol. VI, p. 764.)

Laws enacted in the first sitting of the first general assembly of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which began at Philadelphia, November 28, 1776, and was continued by adjournments to March 21, 1777.

CHAPTER DCCXXXVI.

AN ACT TO ENABLE A SMALLER NUMBER OF THE MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY THAN A QUORUM TO COLLECT THE ABSENT MEMBERS AND ISSUE WRITS FOR FILLING VACANCIES OCCASIONED BY NEGLECT OR REFUSAL.

(Section I, P. L.) Whereas it is found necessary to empower a less number than two-thirds of the representatives of the freemen of this state in assembly met to collect the absent members, in order that the public business may not be delayed:

[Section I.] (Section II, P. L.) Be it therefore enacted, and it is hereby enacted by the Representatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and by the authority of the same, That from and after the publication of this act, if a quorum of the members of the general assembly who have qualified themselves to take their seats in assembly do not appear in the house for the space of six days after the time to which the house shall adjourn, it shall and may be lawful for the speaker for the time being by direction of a majority of the members present to issue his order commanding the attendance of each respective absent member, or such of them as they may see fit at the proper cost and charge of such members respectively, except prevented by sickness or some other occasion which shall be allowed by the house to be a sufficient excuse for absence, and in that case the costs shall be paid by order of the house out of the state treasury.