University of Virginia Library

[SECT. 8.]

That in case the general court shall not at their sessions in May and before the twentieth of June, one thousand seven hundred and forty-nine, agree and conclude upon an act apportioning the sum which by this act is engaged shall be in said year apportioned assessed and levied, that then and in such case each town and district within this province shall pay, by a tax to be levied on the polls, and estates both real and personal, within their districts) the same proportion of the said sum as the said towns and districts shall have been taxed by the general court in the tax-act then last preceeding; and the province treasurer is hereby fully impowred and directed some time in the month of June in the year one thousand seven Hundred and forty nine, to issue and send forth his warrants directed to the selectmen or assessors of each town and district within this province, requiring them to assess the polls, and estates both real and personal, within their several towns and districts for their respective part and proportion of the sum before directed, and engaged to be assessed, and the assessors as

also persons assessed, shall observe, be governed by and subject to all such rules and directions as shall have been given in the last preceeding tax-act; and if their be any surplusage it shall remain a stock in the treasury.

And whereas it is provided by this act that the whole sum now outstanding in bills of credit which have been the medium and instrument of trade and commerce for many years past, shall be sunk, partly by a tax, and partly by being exchanged for the sum granted by parliament as aforesaid,—which sum may prove sufficient to serve as a medium instead of said bills,—and it being of great importance that all possible means should be us'd for establishing an invariable silver currency for the future:

Be it enacted,