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Soldiers, belonging to any of the Regiments in this Colony, shall refuse to muster and march according to orders given him by his Commanding Officer for the purposes mentioned in said act, such Soldier so refusing shall suffer the penalty of ten Pounds, lawful money, for the use of the Colony, any law, usage, or custom, to the contrary notwith-standing. An Act in further addition to the Law of this Colony, entitled “An Act for forming and regulating the Militia, and for the encouragement of Military Skill, for the better defence of this Colony.” Be it enacted by the Governour, Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That the Military Companies in the Towns of East-Haddam and Colchester, except the Company in the Society’ of Marlborough, shall be, and they are hereby made and constituted a distinct and entire Regiment, and shall be called and known by the name of the Twenty-Fifth Regiment, and shall have and enjoy all the privileges and be under the same regulations as the other Regiments in this Colony by law have and are subject to. An Act for the more effectual carrying into execution the several Acts relative to the making of Saltpetre and Gunpowder within this Colony. Whereas by an act of this Assembly in May, 1775, there was a premium of four shillings on the pound granted for all Saltpetre made in this Colony before the 1st day of June, 1776; and December, 1775, a bounty or premium of two shillings on the pound for all Saltpetre manufactured in this Colony from and after the 1st day of June, 1776, and before the 1st day of January, 1777; and that Inspectors should be appointed to view and inspect the same, and administer an oath, and certify as therein described, and purchase and receive the same for the use of this Colony; and by a further act in the same session, it was resolved that the Selectmen in each town within this Colony should be the Inspectors of Saltpetre, with all the power and authority of said acts given to Inspectors of Saltpetre, &c.; but no time being mentioned in said act for delivering the Salt-petre to the Inspectors, nor price affixed for the purchase, and sundry other regulations being necessary to carry the aforesaid acts into execution: Be it therefore enacted by the Governour, Council, and Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That for all Saltpetre made in this Colony before the 1st day of June, 1776, on which the premium of four shillings on the pound is claimed, shall be delivered for inspection to the Selectmen authorized and empowered to inspect the same, or by them inspected, within fifteen days, at farthest, after the last day of May instant; and that after the 1st day of June, the manufacturers producing the same for inspection, shall make oath before the Inspector or Inspectors that the said Nitre or Saltpetre, produced as aforesaid, was made and manufactured before the 1st day of June, otherwise it shall be considered as made after; and that all the Saltpetre made as aforesaid after the last day of May, and before the 1st day of January next, in order to be entitled to the premium of two shillings on the pound, shall be treated and conducted in the same manner, having respect to the 1st day of January as before to the 1st day of June; and that, upon the whole, it shall be the duty of the Inspector or Inspectors carefully to see that all the Saltpetre offered or delivered to them for inspection be pure, clean, and dry, and free from any corrupt mixture, before they give any certificate of the same; and on the same being so found, shall give a certificate thereof, with the other requisites, before either the premium or purchase money shall be paid therefor; and the Saltpetre produced to the Inspectors as aforesaid shall be delivered in casks, or other packages, proper and sufficient for transportation to the Powder-Works, with the maker’s name, and the name of the town wherein made, thereon. And be it further enacted, That for all the Saltpetre made and manufactured in this Colony before the 1st day of January next, inspected, and found to be pure, clean, dry, and unmixed, and fit for use according to law, and so delivered to the Inspector or Inspectors, in proper packages, marked as aforesaid, for the use of the Colony, shall be paid for out of the Colony Treasury the sum of three shillings per pound, for every pound, only deducting therefrom one half-penny on each pound delivered as aforesaid as a general estimate on the whole for transportation to the respective Powder-Mills erected and allowed in this Colony, and for other charges attending the same: Provided, nevertheless, That all persons who have made and manufactured Saltpetre, and have already procured the same to be inspected and delivered to the Inspectors for the use of this Colony, shall be entitled to receive the price aforesaid therefor, notwithstanding the same may not be put up in casks or packages, marked, as aforesaid. And be it further enacted, That the several Inspectors convey and deliver, with all convenient despatch, all the Saltpetre by them received as aforesaid, to the owner or owners of the several Powder-Mills in this Colony assigned by the Governour and Committee of Safety for the time being to receive the same, taking his or their receipt there for, and the same transmit and lodge with the Committee of Pay-Table; and the Inspector or Inspectors performing their duty as aforesaid shall be entitled to a reasonable allowance for his or their trouble and services as aforesaid, to be adjusted by the Committee of Pay-Table, who shall order payment of the same accordingly. And to the intent that all frauds, and impure or corrupt mixtures may be detected, and the persons concerned therein be duly punished, Be it further enacted, That the Inspector or Inspectors delivering, as also the owner, owners, or overseers, of the Powder-Mills receiving the Saltpetre as aforesaid, shall make and keep a true, just, and fair entry of all the Salt-petre delivered and received as aforesaid, and the names of the makers thereof; and whoever shall be found guilty and be convicted of any fraudulent and impure mixture in the Saltpetre by them made and delivered for inspection as aforesaid, shall forfeit to the Treasurer of this Colony the value of the premium and pay granted and allowed on the Saltpetre in which such mixture shall be found. And the owner or owners of the several Powder-Mills shall well and truly and faithfully make up, or cause to be made, all the Saltpetre delivered to them as aforesaid into good merchantable Powder, well dried, fit for use, and find all the other materials necessary therefor, and the same put up in good, tight, sizeable casks, which shall contain either one hundred, one-half, or one-quarter hundred weight of Powder each, marked with the just and true weight of the cask:, and also the initial letters of the maker’s name, and the same deliver to the Governour and Committee of Safety of this Colony, or to their order, for the use of this Colony;and shall receive therefor, out of the Colony Treasury, at the rate of nine dollars per hundred for every hundred weight of good merchantable Powder made and delivered as aforesaid, upon a certificate thereof had and obtained of the Governour, or the Governour and Committee of Safety, produced to the Committee of Pay-Table of this Colony. And be it further enacted, That the Governour and Committee of Safety for the time being, from time to time, order and give directions for the disposal of all their Powder made at the several Powder-Mills within this Colony, and, if need be, erect convenient houses for the reception of the same, in such places as they think proper. The form of the Oath, as follows, viz: “You, A B, do swear by the ever living God, that the Saltpetre by you now exhibited to be inspected was made and manufactured out of materials collected within this Colony by you or on your account, and that the same was manufactured before the 1st day of, and that no certificate hath been obtained or given therefor. So help you God.” The form of the Certificate, as follows, viz; “This may certify, that a quantity of Saltpetre offered for inspection by A B, of H, the maker thereof, amounting to . . . . weight, is well and carefully inspected, and, according to . . . best judgment and skill, the same is found to be pure, clean, and dry, free from any corrupt mixture; the said A B having made oath according to the directions of the law in such case made and provided, which Saltpetre is received for the use of the Colony. Dated at H,. . . . day of . . . ., A. D. . . . .
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