Whereas Very great Complaints are made by the Inhabitants of Bath County of great Hardships they lie under thrô the Imposition of Traders of Vessells to those parts who going from House to House with their said Vessells without any Settled or Constant rate observed in the Sale of their goods Exact according to the necessity of the Buyer who being unwilling to loose the Oppertunity as not knowing any Certain place where he may be Supplyed with goods or when any Vessell may come to his House again is Constrained to Comply with the Extravagant Demands of Traders.

Wherefore for the prevention of Such Extrotions for the future and for regulating the Trade of the Said County by Assertaining particular and Concenient places in the Several Districts of the Said County for the Sale of Forreign goods and Comodities

Be it Enacted by his Excellencey the Palentine and the rest of the true and Absolute Lords and Proprietors of the province of Carolina by and with the advise and Consent of the rest of the members of this Generall Assembly now met at Edenton for the North East part of the said province And it is hereby Enacted that from and after Ten months after the Ratification of this Act no person whatsoever who is not an Inhabitant of this Country Shall Sell or Expose to Sale any foreign goods in Bath County in Any other than in the particular places following. Videlicet At Bath Town at the Plantation of Mr. Churchell Readings on the South Side of Pamplico River, at a place Called Southwells Town at Bear River in Beauford Precint, at the Plantation of Emanuel Cleaves late Deceased in Hyde precint at Newbourn Town and at the Plantation of Jacob Sheets at Beards Creek on the North side of nuse River and at Smiths Creek on the South side of nuse River and at Jones’s Plantation on Adams Creek on the South side of Nuse River in Craven Precint at Beaufort Town in Carteret and that no Inhabitant whatsoever Shall Sell or Expose to Sale any Forreign goods in any Vessell whatsoever nor at any place whatsoever in the said County other than at the particular places aforementioned or at his own house and whosoever Shall Sell or Expose to Sale any forreign goods at any place in the said County Contrary to the Directions of this Act Shall for every Such sale of Goods or breach of this Act forfeit the Sume of Fifty pounds on half to the publick Treasurer for the use of the Publick, the other Half to him or them that Shall Sue for the Same to be recovered by Action of Debt Bill, Plaint or Information to be recovered in any Court of record in this Government provided the Same be Sued for within Twelve months after the Sale of the Said goods Provided also and it is to be understood that this Act Shall not Extend further then the northside Wetock River and that no person Selling any goods to the Southward of that River Shall be Lyable to the penalty of this Act any thing in the said Act to the Contrary Notwithstanding Provided also that this Act continue in force no longer than to the next Bienniel Assembly.

NYHS, pp. 305-306.
To be in force only “to the next Biennial Assembly.”