Whereas divers disputes often Arise Concerning the Rights of Voting for Burgesses to prevent and ascertain the same for the future

Be it Enacted by his Excellency the Palatine and the rest of the true and Absolute Lords Proprietors of Carolina by and with the Advice and Consent of the rest of the Members of the Generall Assembly now met at Edenton for the North East part of the said province that in Election of Burgesses in any Town for the time to come no Tenant or pretended Tenant shall be received to Vote by any feigned Lease made for that turn only but the person, shall have been a Resident or Inhabitant holding a house in such Town at least Six Months before the Election and that no person shall have a Vote at such Election but the Owner of a Saved Lott or of a freehold and house in said Town, and hath been so bona fide Six Months before such Election, or Tenant thereof for Six Months as aforesaid Such house being tenantable and such as by Law would save a Lott in such Town respectively and any Owner of such Saved Lott or of such Tenament as aforesaid altho not a resident shall have the previledge to Vote for the same if there be no Tenant that Votes for it.

Provided Such Owner Votes for no other Lott or Tenement and it shall be Lawfull for the Marshall and he is hereby Commanded if so required by any Candidate or inspector in such Elections to cause any Voter to make Oath to his Qualification pursuant to this Act or reject his Vote and be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that in all precinct Elections of Burgesses no person shall be received to Vote unless he be a Freeholder in Such precinct or hath been an Inhabitant therein for Six Months and be it also Enacted that in the Town of Edenton the Lotts remaining unsold of the Land lately Added to the said Town may be Sold by the Commissioners at forty Shillings per Lott under the former Conditions and that such as have already purchased Lotts in that part of the Town at a higher rate by Vendue in the said Town and not Saved them may have two Years from the Ending this Session to build on and Save such Lott, or Lotts and no longer.

And be it further Enacted that no person shall have a Vote in any Elections that hath not been a Year resident or Inhabitant in the Country provided Nevertheless that Such person may if otherwise Legally qualified have his Vote altho he hath not paid his Levy any Law Custom or Usage to the Contrary Notwithstanding And Whereas the Musters of the Several Companys Adjoyning to Edenton are Ordered to be done and held in the said Town which has been found greatly to the disadvantage of the said Company by reason of the Number of publick houses wherein Severall of the people that are Obliged there to Attend do often gett so disordered by drinking that they are rendered incapable of their Duty for prevention whereof for the future We pray it may be Enacted And be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that the Commanding Officer shall for the future Appoint the place where the said Musters shall be held unless it be especially appointed by the Governor or Commander in Chief any Law Usage or Custom to the Contrary Notwithstanding.

NYHS, pp. 315-316; CO 5/293, fs. 261b-262.
Partially repealed by an act of 1734, with the remainder being repealed by an act of 1743. State Records, 23:209-210, 25:214.