CONNECTICUT ASSEMBLY, OCTOBER, 1776.

or silver and bullion at the value in proportion to dollars at which they pass in this State, or at which they are or may be fixed by the Assembly of the United States in Congress ; or by offering, demanding, or receiving, directly or indirectly, a greater sum in any of said bills for any houses, lands, goods, or commodities whatsoever, than the same could be purchased at of the same person or persons in gold or silver money ; or whoever shall sell or offer to sell, house, land, or any kind of commodity for hard money, and shall refuse to sell and dispose of the same for any of said bills, every person so offending shall forfeit the full value of the money so exchanged, or the houses, lands, goods, or commodities so sold or offered to sale, one-half to the publick Treasury of this State, if the conviction be before the Superiour Court, or to the County Treasurer if before the County Court, or to the Treasurer of the town where the offence is committed, if the conviction be before an Assistant or Justice of the Peace, and the other half to any person who shall sue for and prosecute the same to effect. And all informing officers are hereby directed to take notice and make presentment of all breaches of this act.

RESOLUTION ORDERING THE PUBLICATION OF THE ACT FOR SUPPORTING THE BILLS OF CREDIT.

Resolved by this Assembly, That the Act passed this session for supporting the credit and currency of the Bills of Credit, &c., be forthwith published in all the newspapers in this State, and the several printers are desired to insert the same accordingly.

RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE ARREST AND EXAMINATION OF SUSPECTED PERSONS.

Whereas it is reported to this Assembly that there are a number of persons in the Western Towns of this State, inimical to the liberties of this and the other United States of America, who are forming dangerous insurrections, and taking every method in their power to communicate intelligence to comfort, aid, and assist the enemies of these United States, and to distress the inhabitants of said towns, and to brine on a general anarchy and confusion among them :

Resolved by this Assembly, That Abraham Davenport, Daniel Sherman, Thomas Fitch, Andrew Adams, and Jonah Bissell, Esqrs., be appointed a Committee forthwith to repair to said Western Towns, and to convene before them all such persons as shall be suspected to be inimical and dangerous to the rights and liberties of America in this critical and convulsed state of affairs, when the ordinary mode of prosecution will not be adequate to the mischiefs apprehended, and all such persons as the Committee shall, upon inquiry, judge to be dangerous or too suspicious, consistent with the publick safety, to be suffered to remain in their present situation, said Committee are hereby authorized and empowered to send such person or persons so deemed and adjudged dangerous as aforesaid, under a proper guard, to such place or places in this Colony as shall be thought best, there to remain and to be safe kept under the direction of his Honour the Governour and his Council of Safety, for such time as the publick security may require.

And it is further Resolved, That his Honour the Governour be desired to direct Major-General Wooster to give the aid and assistance with his troops in his power to said Committee for carrying into execution the aforesaid resolve.

Provided, That in case any of said Committee should be unable, or fail to attend said business, the residue, or any three of them, shall have power to proceed and execute the powers vested in said Committee by this resolve.

AN ACT IN ADDITION TO AN ACT ENTITLED “AN ACT FOR THE MORE EFFECTUAL CARRYING INTO EXECUTION THE SEVERAL ACTS RELATIVE TO THE MAKING OF SALTPETRE AND GUNPOWDER WITHIN THIS COLONY.”

Whereas the Selectmen in each town are in and by said act appointed Inspectors of Saltpetre, notwithstanding which sundry quantities of that article, either through the unskillfulness or inadvertency of the Inspectors, have been found upon trial when brought to the Powder-Mills to be impure and unfit for the manufacturing of good Gunpowder, and thereby the publick are much injured : Which mischief to prevent for the future :

Be it enacted by the Governour, Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That there be appointed for each Powder-Mill in this Colony a good and skillful Inspector of Saltpetre, who shall be under oath, and shall carefully reinspect all the Saltpetre brought to said Mills, before any premium is paid thereon, or price, therefor ; and whatever Saltpetre shall be found bad and impure shall be refined by said Inspector, and the Selectmen of the town from whence it came be notified thereof, and of the expense attending the same, which shall be deducted, together with the wastage thereon arising, from the premium and price thereof, and the remainder paid over to the owners thereof.

RESOLUTION APPOINTING REINSPECTORS OF SALTPETRE.

This Assembly do appoint Mr. Constant Southworth, Doctor Æneas Munson, Colonel Joshua Porter, and Mr. Wait Goodrich, to be reinspectors of Saltpetre at the Powder-Mills in this State, until the first day of June next.

AN ACT TO PREVENT ENGROSSERS, AND FOR THE BETTER SUPPLY OF OUR TROOPS IN THE ARMY WITH SUCH NECESSARIES AS MAY BE WANTED.

Whereas many are so abandoned, and lost to all the feelings of humanity, as to prey upon the bowels of their country, in this day of publick distress arid struggle, by endeavouring to engross many of the necessary articles of life ; especially of such as are more immediately wanted for the comfort and support of our Armies, whereby much extortion and oppression arises upon the poor and the soldiery : Which to prevent :

Be it enacted by the Governour, Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That his Honour the Governour, with the advice of his Council of Safety, be, and they are hereby enabled, empowered, and directed, that whenever, and whatever article or articles of necessary support for the Army may be wanted, to impress and seize the same out of the hands of any engrosser, for the use aforesaid ; and to have the same apprised by two indifferent, judicious men, under oath, appointed for that purpose, which price so affixed, shall be paid to the owner or owners thereof ; and that suitable persons shall be appointed by his Honour the Governour and his Council aforesaid, to furnish and supply the Army with necessaries as aforesaid, upon the most reasonable terms, agreeable to the encouragement given by this Assembly.

RESOLUTION FOR ENCOURAGING THE MAKING OF SALT.

Whereas the article of Salt is much wanted in this State, and notwithstanding the bounty ordered by this Assembly in May last, to all those who should make five hundred bushels or more, yet is found inadequate properly to encourage the setting up said branch of business and making smaller quantities :

Resolved by this Assembly, That a bounty of one shilling per bushel, upon any less quantity than five hundred bushels, shall be paid out of the publick Treasury upon each bushel of good Salt that shall be made in this State before the first day of November, 1777 ; and upon the makers of Salt producing a certificate under the hands of the Selectmen of the town where the Salt was manufactured, of the quantity so made, shall receive said bounty ; and the Treasurer is hereby directed to pay the same to the respective manufacturers accordingly.

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE GOVERNOUR AND COUNCIL TO LAY AN EMBARGO.

Resolved by this Assembly, That his Honour the Governour with the advice of his Council of Safety, shall be empowered and enabled, and he is hereby empowered and enabled upon finding it necessary and expedient for the benefit of the publick, to lay any further embargo upon the exportation of Swine, or any other article, out of this State, as shall be thought requisite, in the recess of the General Assembly of this State.