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and to empower 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; was read a third time. Colonel Pinckney, according to order, presented several clauses, which leave had been moved for to be brought in and added to the said Bill. And the same were received, read three several times, amended, and passed, and are as followeth: IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That, in case any fire shall break out in the night time in Charlestown, every owner, or tenant, of every inhabited house in the said town, shall put up a light in such house, in one of the windows fronting the street, or a lantern lighted at the street door, and shall suffer the light to remain there during the whole time of the fire, on pain of forfeiting the sum of five Pounds, current money; to be recovered by warrant of distress, and sale of the offender’s goods, by any one Justice of the Peace for the District of Charlestown. V. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the said Firemasters shall purchase and provide a sufficient quantity of ladders and buckets, to be kept with the fire-engines, or in such other convenient place and places in Charlestown as the said Firemasters shall think proper, and the expense of providing such ladders and buckets shall be borne and paid by the landlords and owners of houses in Charlestown. VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful for each Firemaster, and he is hereby empowered, to choose two Assistants, whose business it shall be, under the direction of the Firemasters, to form lanes, procure water, and take care that the inhabitants do properly, and to the utmost of their strength, power, and abilities, aid and assist at the fire; and to the intent that the said Firemasters and Assistants may be known and distinguished, the said Firemasters shall attend such fires with the usual fire-staves carried by them, and the said Assistants, respectively, shall carry in their hands a white staff; and in case any person or persons shall wilfully and obstinately refuse or neglect to give reasonable aid and assistance when commanded by the said Firemasters or their Assistants, or any of them, he and they shall forfeit twenty Pounds, lawful current money, each—one moiety to the said Assistants, and the other moiety to the said Firemasters, to be given by them as a gratuity to such person or persons as shall exert or distinguish themselves in doing any considerable service at the fire, to be recovered in manner above-mentioned; and all persons whatsoever, who shall do or execute a matter or thing whatsoever, for the preventing or extinguishing fire, in obedience or in pursuance to the command or directions of the said Firemasters or their Assistants, are hereby indemnified and saved harmless against all and every person and persons whatsoever. Ordered, That the said clauses be made parts of the Bill. Resolved, That the Bill do pass; and that the title be, An Act, &c. Ordered, That Mr. Verree and Captain Stone do carry the said Bill to the Legislative Council. The Clerk of the Legislative Council brought from that House an Ordinance for altering the time of holding certain Circuit Courts, and of holding the Court of Common Pleas, and the Court of General Sessions, usually held in Charlestown in May; read a second time in that House. Message from the Legislative Council, by their Clerk. “Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen: “This House hath read a second time an Ordinance for altering the time of holding certain Circuit Courts, and of holding the Court of Common Pleas, and the Court of General Sessions, usually held in Charlestown in May; and now return the same to your House. But, inasmuch as this House is of opinion that the said Ordinance, being a matter of importance, requires several great alterations to be made thereto, do, therefore, propose a conference should be held on the same, to sit without delay; and request you will be pleased to appoint a Committee to meet a Committee of this House, on this business. Our Committee are the Honourable Colonel Pinckney and the Honourable Mr. Bee. “By order of the House: “GEORGE GAB. POWELL, Speaker.” Ordered, That Colonel Pinckney, the Honourable Mr. Drayton, Mr. Salvador, and Mr. Matthews, be a Committee to confer with a Committee of the Legislative Council upon the subject mentioned in their Message. Message to the Legislative Council. Honourable Gentlemen: Agreeable to the Message just now received from your House, we acquaint you that we have appointed a Committee, to confer with a Committee of your House, on the alterations necessary to be made in the ordinance for altering the time of holding certain Circuit Courts, and of holding the Court of Common Pleas, and the Court of General Sessions, usually held in Charlestown in May. Our Committee are Colonel Pinckney, the Honourable Mr. Drayton, and Mr. Matthews. Ordered, That the Message be engrossed, and that Mr. Speaker do sign the same. Ordered, That Mr. McQueen and Mr. Cordes do carry the said Message to the Legislative Council. Ordered, That Mr. John Parker have leave of absence, Mr. McQueen reported that he, with Mr. Cordes, had delivered the Message they had in charge to the Legislative Council. Ordered, That the Honourable Mr. Drayton do, with one of the Members of the Legislative Council, compare the engrossed Ordinance, establishing an Oath of Office to be taken in manner therein mentioned, with the original draft. Ordered, That Colonel Pinckney do, with one of the Members of the Legislative Council, compare the engrossed Ordinance for making disposition of Moneys for the support of Government, and to enable his Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of South-Carolina for the time being, to execute certain powers therein mentioned, with the original draft. Colonel Pinckney reported, that the Ordinance committed to his charge had been compared according to order, and was found right. The Honourable Mr. Drayton reported, that the Ordinance committed to his charge had, according to order, been compared, and was found right. Message to His Excellency the President. May it please your Excellency: This House, having two Ordinances of great importance and exigency to present to your Excellency for your assent, and the Legislative Council being adjourned till to-morrow, twelve o’clock, we beg leave to request your Excellency will be pleased to call them to meet at five o’clock this afternoon, to the intent the said Ordinances may be then presented for your Excellency’s assent. Ordered, That the Message be engrossed, and that Mr. Speaker do sign the same. Ordered, That Mr. Hall and Mr. McQueen do wait on his Excellency with the said Message. Captain Roger Smith reported that he, with Captain Trapier, had waited on the President, and delivered to his Excellency the Message and Resolutions they had in charge. Mr. Hall reported that he, with Mr. McQueen, had delivered to the President the Message they had in charge, and that his Excellency was pleased to say he would give orders accordingly. Ordered, That Captain Savage and Mr. Rapley do wait on the President with the engrossed Ordinances, which are to be presented for his assent, and request that his Excellency will be pleased to cause the seals to be affixed thereto. Mr. Rapley reported that he, with Captain Savage, had delivered the engrossed Ordinances they had in charge to the President, and that his Excellency was pleased to say he would cause the seals to be affixed accordingly. The House was moved for leave to bring in an Ordinance for appointing and ascertaining the duties of a Mustermaster-General of this Colony. Ordered, That leave be given to bring in such an Ordinance, and that Colonel Pinckney and Colonel Gervais do prepare and bring in the same. And then the House adjourned till six of the clock, in the evening.
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