assess upon the polls and estates of such persons as belong to the classes No. 4 and No. 12, the full sum given by said classes for the hire of their men, which sum has been paid out of the treasury of said town; and to make out a warrant in common form to the Collectors of the town, requiring them to collect and pay into the town treasury the sum committed for the use of the town; and the head of each class abovesaid is directed to deliver to the Assessors a list of the polls and estates contained in each class, with an account of the cost of the hire of said men.

And it is further Resolved, That the Assessors govern themselves by the Resolve of December, 1780, in making said assessment.

And it is further Resolved, That the other classes in said town, who have not completed the payment of their men, shall proceed without delay to complete the same, agreeable to the abovesaid Resolve.

And it is further Resolved, That all the votes of the town that respect the averaging the cost of the hire of the men, and settling with the classes, be, and hereby are, declared to be null and void. November 26, 1785.

Chapter 100.

RESOLVE ALLOWING THE COUNTY TREASURER'S ACCOUNTS OF Chap.100

THE COUNTY OF SUFFOLK, AND GRANTING A TAX OF TWO
THOUSAND Pounds, to BE ASSESSED ON SAID COUNTY.

Whereas the Justices of the Court of the General Sessions of the Peace for the county of Suffolk, have laid before this Court, the accounts of the Treasurer for the said county, from May 22d, 1784, to May 23d, 1785; also an estimate of the sum necessary to be raised for defraying the charges of the said county for one year, from the said twenty-third of May, 1785; and further praying that the sum of Two thousand pounds, may be granted for said purpose; and it appearing to this Court, that said sum is necessary, and that the accounts exhibited are right cast, and well vouched; and that the expenditures were for such purposes, as the said Justices were by law authorized to provide for: Therefore

Resolved, That the said accounts be, and they are, hereby allowed.

And it is further Resolved, That there be, and hereby is, granted a tax of Two thousand pounds, to be appor

tioned and assessed on the inhabitants of the said county of Suffolk, and the estates lying within the same, to be collected, paid and applied for the use of the said county, conformably to the laws of this Commonwealth: And inasmuch as a new valuation will probably be soon established,

Resolved, That if the tax hereby granted shall be apportioned and assessed according to the last valuation, the said Justices shall, on a new valuation, and in the next succeeding tax, charge or credit the several towns within the said county, with such sum or sums as might appear to have belonged unto them, had the same been made by such new valuation. November 25, 1785.

Chapter 101.

Chap.101 RESOLVE ON THE PETITION OF REBECCA RAYMOND, STAYING

· EXECUTION.

On the petition of Rebecca Raymond, wife of Nathan Raymond, of Littleton, in the county of Middlesex, praying to be discharged from an execution, in favour of this Commonwealth, against the estate of her said husband, for reasons set forth in said petition :

Resolved, That the prayer of the petition be so far granted, that the said execution be stayed until the further order of the General Court. November 25, 1785.

Chapter 102.

Chap.102 RESOLVE ESTABLISHING THE PAY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE

GENERAL COURT, THE PRESIDENT OF SENATE, &c.

Resolved, That there be allowed and paid out of the public treasury, the sum of eight shillings, to each member of the Honorable Council, and the sum of seven shillings and six pence, to each member of the Honorable Senate, and the sum of seven shillings, to each member of the House of Representatives; - for each day they have attended the Council or General Court the present session: also the further sum of one day's pay for every ten miles distance each member lives from the place of the Court's sitting.

And it is further Resolved, That there be granted and paid out of the public treasury of this Commonwealth, to

the Hon. Samuel Phillips, jun. Esq; President of the Senate, the sum of six shillings per day, for each day's attendance the present session of the General Court; to the Hon. Nathaniel Gorham, Esq; Speaker of the House of Representatives, the sum of six shillings per day, for each day's attendance on the General Court, over and above their respective pay as members thereof.

And be it further Resolved, That there be allowed and paid out of the public treasury of this Commonwealth, to Mr. George Richards Minot, Clerk of the House of Representatives, and also to Mr. Samuel Cooper, Clerk of the Honorable Senate, the sum of Forty pounds each, in part for their services the present year.

Chapter 103.

November 25, 1785.

RESOLVE ON THE PETITION OF ABIEZER EDSON, DIRECTING Chap.103

THE TREASURER TO DISCHARGE THE NOTE MENTIONED.

On the petition of Abiezer Edson, setting forth that Josiah Edson, Esq; an absentee, was indebted to him the sum of Three pounds, for which the said Josiah gave his note of hand, dated July 28, 1770, which note was mislaid and lost until the whole of the said Josiah Edson's estate was sold by order of government, and praying that the sum due on said note might be paid him notwithstanding:

Resolved, That the prayer of the petition be so far granted, that the Treasurer of this Commonwealth, be, and he is, hereby directed to pay out of the public treasury, the sum of Three pounds, to the said Abiezer Edson, on his delivering to the Treasurer the aforesaid note, and in full discharge thereof. November 25, 1785.

Chapter 104.

RESOLVE ON THE PETITION OF REUBEN TOTMAN, &c. INHAB-
ITANTS OF HUBBARDSTON, APPOINTING A COMMITTEE TO
VIEW THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF SAID TOWN, AND REPORT.

On the petition of Reuben Totman, Joseph Newton, Amos Parker, John Williams and David Hemmingway, inhabitants of the town of Hubbardston, praying that they may be set off from the said town of Hubbardston, and annexed to the town of Barre, or that a Committee may be appointed by the General Court to view, at the petitioners

Chap.104

cost, their situation and circumstances, and report their opinion of the expediency of the petitioners being set off as aforesaid:

Resolved, That Seth Washburne, Abel Wilder and Hiram Newhall, Esq'rs. be a Committee to repair to the town of Hubbardston, notify all persons interested, hear their allegations and complaints, view their situation and circumstances, and report their opinion at the next sitting of the General Court; and that the expences arising on the said business be paid in the first instance by the petitioners aforesaid. November 25, 1785.

Chapter 105.

Chap. 105 RESOLVE ADJOURNING THE COURT FOR THE TRIAL OF PIRA

CIES, AT SALEM, TO BOSTON, ON THE THIRD WEDNESDAY
OF FEBRUARY NEXT, AND DIRECTING THE SHERIFF OF
ESSEX TO CONVEY THE PIRATES FROM THE GOAL IN SALEM,
AND DELIVER THEM TO THE SHERIFF OF THE COUNTY OF
SUFFOLK.

Whereas it is expedient, that the Court, which now stands adjourned to the second Wednesday of February next, to meet at Salem, in the county of Essex, for the trial of Piracies and Felonies, done and committed on the high seas, should be adjourned over to Boston, in the county of Suffolk :

Resolved, That the Court for the trial of Piracies and Felonies, done and committed on the high seas, which now stands adjourned to meet at Salem, in the county of Essex, on the second Wednesday of February next, be, and it hereby is, further adjourned to meet at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, on the third Tuesday of February next; and all matters and things shall have day in said Court, at said adjournment at Boston, as they would have had at the adjournment of said Court to the second Wednesday of February next, at Salem, as aforesaid: and the said Court are hereby empowered to proceed thereon in the same manner as they might have done, had not the said Court been adjourned as aforesaid.

And whereas Richard Squires and John Matthew, prisoners in the Commonwealth's goal at Salem, in the county of Essex, stand convicted of Felony and Robbery on the high seas, and sentence has not yet been passed on them for said offence:

Resolved, That the Sheriff of the county of Essex, be, and he hereby is, directed to convey the said Squires and Matthew, to the bounds of the county of Essex, and deliver them unto the Sheriff of the county of Suffolk, who is hereby directed to receive said prisoners, and convey them to the Commonwealth's goal at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and there safely to keep them, until sentence can be passed upon them.

Chapter 106.

November 25, 1785.

RESOLVE RESPECTING THE WHALE FISHERY, AND DIRECTING Chap.106

THE SECRETARY TO PUBLISH THE SAME IN ADAMS AND

NOURSE'S PAPER, AND THE ESSEX, FALMOUTH AND PLYM-
OUTH NEWSPAPERS.

Whereas this Court, having a due sense of the high worth and importance of the Whale Fishery, are desirous of its preservation, not only to this State, but to the United States in general: Therefore

Resolved, That there be paid out of the treasury of this Commonwealth, the following bounties upon Whale Oil of the different qualities hereafter mentioned, viz.:

For every ton of white Spermacæti Oil, Five pounds, For every ton of brown or yellow Spermacati Oil, sixty shillings,

For every ton of Whale Oil, (so called) forty shillings,

that may be taken or caught, by any vessel or vessels that are, or may be, owned and manned wholly by the inhab itants of this Commonwealth, and landed within the same, from and after the first day of January next, until the further order of the General Court.

And be it further Resolved, That the Selectmen of each town within this Commonwealth, where said fishery is carried on, be, and they hereby are, empowered and directed to appoint an Inspector, or Inspectors, who (first making oath for the due performance of his or their duty) shall inspect all such oil so landed, with an iron oil searcher, and with a marking iron, mark on the head of each cask so inspected, the initial letters of his name; describing the quality of the oil by letters W. B. Y. W. O. annexed, and make certificate thereof, to the