A. D. 1783.

AN ORDINANCE FOR SETTLING A DEPRECIATION TABLE.

WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States of North America, and the Legislature of this State, have been compelled to issue large sums of paper money to enable them to carry on the war which has been waged against these States by the King of Great Britain, which money has from time to time greatly depreciated in value; and whereas, many contracts have been made between the citizens of this State whilst paper money was in circulation, which contracts are still unsettled; and the public have borrowed on loan considerable sums of money; for the adjustment of which demands it is necessary that a scale of depreciation should be fixed and settled;

No. 1185.

Preamble.

I. Be it ordained, by the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Assembly met, and by the authority of the Differences same, That the table of depreciation hereunto annexed, shall be the rule arising on confor the determination of all differences which may arise on any contracts tled by the anwhich have been made in this State by any private persons and which still nexed table.

subsist.

II. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That in the settlement of the depreciation on such contracts, the value of the money shall be fixed at the time the contract was made, and not at the time the contract was to have been fulfilled.

III. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That all debts which were due antecedent to the depreciation and have since been settled by bonds or notes which are still subsisting and unpaid, the debtor shall be liable to discharge the said debt according to its real value at the time of the original contract.

IV. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the auditor be, and he is hereby, authorized, empowered and required to liquidate all the demands which subsist against the public, by the table hereunto annexed.

V. And whereas, many persons who had put into the treasury on loan considerable sums of money, at an interest of seven per cent. per annum, did on the interest being raised to ten per cent. exchange their old indents for indents bearing an interest of ten per cent., but it is nevertheless just and reasonable that the money due to such persons shall be paid according to its true value at the time it was lent to the public; Be it therefore ordained by the authority aforesaid, That in the settlement of the demands of the public creditors who placed their money into the treasury on loan, relation shall be had to the date of the first indents, and the demands of such creditors having been liquidated thereby, the commissioners of the treasury shall give them a new indent for the same; provided nevertheless, that the interest which shall be allowed on the said sums of money due by the said indents shall be that at which the money was originally

lent.

In the Senate House, the sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty three, and in the seventh year of the Independence of the United States of America.

JOHN LLOYD, President of the Senate.

HUGH RUTLEDGE, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

tracts to be set

No. 1186. AN ORDINANCE FOR REPAIRING AND REBUILDING THE COURT HOUSES AND GOALS IN THE SEVERAL DISTRICTS OF THIS STATE.

WHEREAS, it is very necessary that the court houses and goals throughout this State should be repaired or built as soon as possible; I. Be it ordained, by the honorable the Senate and the House of RepCommissioners resentatives of this State, and by the authority of the same, That his to be appointed Excellency the Governor be, and he is hereby, impowered to appoint by Governor. commissioners in each District to agree with proper persons to under

take the repairing or rebuilding the court houses and goals, where necessary, in the several districts of this State.

II. And be it further ordained, by the authority of the same, That the said commissioners be authorized and empowered to give certificates for defraying the expence of the said repairs and buildings in the district for which they shall be respectively appointed; which certificate shall be received in payment as specie at all sales of public property, (except such as may be ordered by his Excellency the Governor for special purposes,) and also in payment of taxes imposed by the authority of this State.

In the Senate House, the seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, and in the seventh year of the Independence of the United States of America.

JOHN LLOYD, President of the Senate.

HUGH RUTLEDGE, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

A. D. 1783.

AN ORDINANCE FOR LAYING AND LEVYING CERTAIN IMPOSTS AND No. 1187. DUTIES THEREIN MENTIONED, IN AID OF THE PUBLIC REVenue.

WHEREAS, the public exigencies require that the several imposts and duties hereinafter mentioned, should be laid and granted in aid of Preamble. the public taxes of this State;

Tax on

keep billiard

I. Be it ordained, by the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina, now met and sitting in General Assembly, and by the authority of the same, That the commissioners of licences to rethe treasury for the time being shall demand and receive of and from tail liquor and all and every person and persons, to whom licence shall or may be tables. granted, by the justices assembled according to law on the Monday in Easter week and the first Monday in August next, for keeping any tavern or punch house in Charlestown, or for retailing spirituous liquors in any smaller quantity than three gallons, the sum of five pounds sterling for every such licence, over and besides any sum or sums that may now be demanded or taken by any law of this State; and also from every person or persons to whom any licence shall be granted for keeping a billiard table within Charlestown aforesaid, or the parishes of St. Michaels or St. Philips, the sum of twelve pounds like money, over and besides what he or she are now liable to pay by law.

be

II. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the several persons to whom licences for keeping taverns or punch houses, or When and by billiard tables, or for retailing spirituous liquors in any quantity less than whom licences three gallons, in any other part of this State, shall be granted by the justi-granted. ces of the several districts or parishes, assembled on Monday in Easter week and first Monday in August next, shall be, and they are hereby, obliged to produce a certificate of such licence before the ordinary of the district, (except in Charlestown district, in which district application shall be always made to the commissioners of the treasury as aforesaid,) wherein such tavern, punch house or billiard table, or house for retailing such spirituous liquors as aforesaid, shall be situate; and the said ordinaries are hereby required on the production of such certificate to

A. D. 1783.

Penalty for

&c. without

licence.

grant a licence or permission, under their hands and seals, to such person, for which they shall receive and take from such person or persons the sum of one dollar, for the attendance, trouble and licence so granted by such ordinary, and also twelve pounds for the licence for such billiard table, over and above what the keeper or keepers are now liable to pay by law, and fifty shillings for every such tavern or other licence, for the use of this State, which shall be paid into the public treasury of this State within three months after the receipt thereof, under the penalty of fifty pounds sterling for every neglect or default.

III. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That if any person or persons either in Charlestown or in any part of the country keeping tavern, of this State, shall presume to keep a tavern or punch house, or house, booth, waggon or shed for retailing spirituous liquors, or a billiard table, without such licence or permission as is pointed out or directed by this Ordinance, he, she or they shall forfeit and pay the sum of fifty pounds sterling for every such offence, to be recovered by bill, plaint or information in the court of common pleas of this State, by any person who shall inform and sue for the same; provided, that if no board of justices shall be held in Charlestown for granting such licences, or in any particular district or part of the country of this State, that it shall and may be lawful to and for the commissioners of the treasury of this State, if in Charlestown, to grant such licence as is directed by virtue of this Ordinance, and to and for any three justices of the peace, one of whom to be of the quorum, in any country district; which licences shall be as full and effectual to all intents and purposes as if granted by any of the said boards of justices assembled according to law.

Duty on

ed.

IV. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the collectors of the customs at the several ports of entry of this State shall liquors import receive and take for the use of this State a duty of four pence sterling, per gallon, for every gallon of wine, rum, brandy, gin, taffia, anniseed, liqueurs, or other spirituous liquor, that shall or may be imported into this State, to be paid or secured to be paid within six months after the time of entry of the same.

Duty on playing cards.

A former Act revived.

shall be

recovered.

V. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the said collectors shall in like manner levy and take the sum of four pence sterling on every pack of playing cards imported into this State, to be paid at the time of importation.

VI. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That all and every the powers, authorities and restrictions laid down and expressed in an Act of the Legislature of this State, passed heretofore the fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and forty, commonly called the general duty Act, shall be, and the same are hereby, revived and renewed, so as to enable the said collectors to levy, recover and receive the duties laid and imposed by virtue of this ordinance; and that all the pains and penalties in the same Act mentioned and expressed, shall be extended to persons committing any offence or fraud against the present Ordinance.

VII. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That all How penalties and every penalty that shall be forfeited or become due by virtue of this Ordinance, or the said in part recited Act, in so far as the same concerns the present ordinance, shall and may be recovered by any plaintiff or informer, by bill, plaint or information in the court of common pleas of this State, wherein every exemption, protection and benefit shall be

allowed to the parties suing or informing that are allowed by the afore- A. D. 1783. said Act or any other law or ordinance of this State.

In the Senate House, the seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand

seven hundred and eighty-three, and in the seventh year of the Independence of the
United States of America.

JOHN LLOYD, President of the Senate.

HUGH RUTLEDGE, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

AN ORDINANCE FOR THE BETTER DEFENCE AND SECURITY OF THIS No. 1188. STATE, DURING THE RECESS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

WHEREAS, in times of danger and invasion it becomes the policy of republics to concentre the powers of government in the hands of the supreme magistracy, for a limited time, to give vigour and dispatch to the means of safety; and whereas, from the present situation of affairs in this State, it behoves us, for our common safety, to follow such example, and by such well timed confidence in the servants of the community, (acting under the authority of the people,) to enable us to defeat the views and designs of our enemy:

Preamble.

vested in the

I. Be it therefore ordained, by the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina, now met and sitting in General Assembly, and by the authority of the same, That it shall and Certain powers may be lawful for the Governor or Commander-in-chief of this State for Governor and the time being, with the advice and consent of the Privy Council, on an Privy Council. actual invasion, or on his receiving credible information of a formidable invasion being meditated against the State, and during the continuance of such invasion, to embody, array and dispose of any part of the militia and Charlestown battalion of artillery, of this State, (provided, that not more than one half part of the militia be drawn forth into actual service,) except the militia of those regiments belonging to the parts immediately invaded, or within eighty miles of the same; and to form any camp or camps, in such manner as may most effectually and expeditiously counteract the designs and operations of our enemies, and tend to the public safety; and that the Governor or Commander-in-chief, with the advice and consent of the Privy Council, shall make a proper provision for the family of any poor person who shall be draughted or ordered to take the field, in such manner as shall most readily relieve any such family from any distress or want, by the absence of such person so draughted or ordered.

Governor.

II. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful for the Governor or Commander-in-chief, with the Powers of the advice and consent of the Privy Council, on receiving such information, and during such invasion as aforesaid, to do all such matters and things which in their opinion may be judged expedient and necessary, to secure the liberty, safety and happiness of this State; provided, it does not extend to subject the militia to articles of war for the regulation of the continental or state troops, and to the taking away the life of a citizen without a legal trial.

III. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That it shall and be lawful for the Governor or Commander-in-chief, with the ad

may