Whereas thrô the Insufficiency of the Provincial Goal at Edenton not only Debtors have Escaped to the Defrauding of their Creditors but also Divers Felons and other Criminals have broke Prison and escaped with Impunity to the great Encouragement to Persons to Committ Enormous crimes and by Means whereof the Administration of Justice is render'd Inefectual; and Whereas not only an Office or Place for the safekeeping the Records of the general Court and for the Clerk of the said Court to transact his Business and where he may give due Attendance and any Persons may have recourse and Apply to search any Record or get Copies of such Records or Papers as they should require, but also several necessary Repiarations to the said Court House at Edenton are very much wanted; wherefore we Pray that it may be enacted,

And be it Enacted by his Excellency the Governour Council and general Assembly, That the Honorable William Smith Esqr. John Montgomery Esqr. Mr. John Hodgson Mr. Joseph Anderson Mr. Thomas Luten Mr. John Blount and Mr. Jacob Butler be and they are hereby Appointed Commissioners or Trustees for Erecting and Building a Provincial Goal in Edenton on the Lott for that Purpose laid out and Appointed, and an office or Place for the safe keeping of the Records of the general Court on the Lott on which the Court House is Built, and to repair the said Court House at Edenton, which said Commissioners or the Majority of them are hereby Impower'd to erect and Build the said Goal and Office of Brick, but of the Dimensions and in such manner as they shall think Proper, and to make such Repairations to the said Court House as they shall think Necessary, so that the Charge of Building the said Goal and Office and repairing the said Court House do not exceed the summ of two Thousand Pounds by this Act Appropriated for the said Purposes.

And be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that for Defraying the Charge of Building the said Goal and Repairing the said Court House and Building the Office aforesaid, the Sheriff of each County be and is hereby Impowerd and Authorized at any time before the first Day of July next after the Ratification of this Act, and also at any time before the first Day of July in the next Succeeding Year and not Longer Demand levy upon and receive from the Inhabitants of this Province the Summ of two shillings Current Bills as a Poll Tax for every Tithable Person within each and every of the said Counties of this Province; and in case of Refusal of Payment to be recover'd by the said Sheriffs in the same manner by Distress as is Directed in the Acts of Assembly for Collecting and recovering other Publick Levy's allready Established.

And be it Further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that all and every the Sheriff or Sheriffs of each County are hereby Directed and Commanded to Account with and to pay to the Commissioners aforesaid or such Person or Persons as by the said Commissioners or the Majority of them shall be Appointed for that Purpose in one Month after the time Appointed for the finishing each and every of the Collections of the Taxes aforesaid, all such Summ or Summs of Money as shall by him or them be received by Virtue of this Act, the summ of fifteen Pounds Current Money for every Hundred Pounds by them Collected Excepted, and at that rate for a lesser Summ, which they are hereby empower'd to receive and keep as a Reward for their Trouble in Collecting the same.

And be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that in case any of the said Sheriffs shall neglect or refuse to Account with and to pay to the said Commissioners or such other Person or Persons as shall for that Purpose be Appointed by them or the Majority of them for the space of two Callender Months after the respective times appointed for the finishing the several Collections aforesaid each and every of the said Sheriffs so Neglecting or refusing shall forfeit and pay to the Commissioners aforesaid the summ of five Hundred Pounds Current Money of this Province to be recover'd in the general Court of this Province by Action of Debt Bill Plaint or Information wherein no Essoin Protection Injunction or Wager of Law shall be allow'd of; which said forfeitures when recover'd shall be applied by the Commissioners or the Major part of them to the uses the Levies or Tax aforesaid are Intended for.

And be it Further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that the Commissioners aforesaid shall render unto the general Assembly a true account of all such sums of Money as they shall receive by Virtue of this Act and in what manner they have Applied the same.

And be it Further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that the Clerk of the general Court for the time being or his Deputy when the said office shall be erected shall Daily (Sundays and Holy days Excepted) give his Attendance at the said office from the Hours of ten in the forenoon untill twelve and from three of the Clock in the afternoon untill five for the better Dispatching the Business of such Persons as shall apply for such Purpose under the Penalty of fifty Pounds Current Money of this Province for every such neglect, to be recover'd by Action of Debt Bill Plaint or Information in the general Court of this Province, wherein no Essoin Injunction Protection or Wager of Law shall be Allow'd of, by the Party who shall make Information thereof or sue for the same.

CO 5/333, fs. 27-27b