The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-09-30 00:00:00, page 1

hfurther SUPPLEMENT to the left Lave, of this States
WHER BAS by virtue of that inherent and un
questionable right, which every government hath
to exact a test of allegiance from all persons within it,
at such time and in such manner, as the preservation of
the State shall require; several test laws have been suc
cessively passed at different periods, by the legislature of this
Sate, prefeoting oaths of allegiance to this Common.
Wealth..
AND WHEREAS many persons have omitted to
take and fubferibe the fame, as is reasonably apprehended
from difaffeaion to our late glorious revolution.
AND WHEREAS it is unjust, as well as impolitic to
admit to a common participation of the blessings of in
dependance, those who refufe to share in common with
the good people of these States, the dangers and incon
veniences of the present contest.
AND WHEREAS m ny persons inimical to the liber
ties of this country, despairing of subverting the fame by
open force, may be induced to affumte the mask of friend
ship, and after insinuating themselves into favor and
confidence, endeavour to betray those whom they cannot
conquer.
AND WHEREAS to secure and establish the indepen
dence of this Common -Wealth, as declared by Copgrefs,
is a duty which we owe to ourselves who now enjoy it, to
those brave men who have facrificed their lives for this no
ble purpose, and to our pefterity who will claim at our
hands, this the most valuable inheritance that coulb have
been left them. Therefore to attain this great obje&, to
make a proper and reasonable diftinHion between those
who step forward in the hour of trial, and those who
would enjoy the rewards of victory, without^aving con
tributed towards it, and to guard against ferret and de.
Ceitful designs.
Be it enabled, and it is hereby enabled, -by the Reprefen^
talipes of the Freemen of the Common Wealth of Penfyl
vania, in General Assembly met, and by the authority
of the fame, That all male white inhabitants of this State,
above the age of eQhten years, who have not hitherto
taken the oath or affirmation mentioned and appointed
to be taken in the Aft of Assembly, intitled, " An Aft
obliging the male white inhabitants of this State, to give
assurances of allegiance to the fame, and for other purposes
therein mentioned " enafled the thirtieth day of June
One thousand seven hundred and seventy .seven, within
the time and according to the terms prescribed in said Aft,
and who have also negleftedfpd omitted to take and fun
fcribe the oath or affirmation in said AH mentioned, with
in the further time indulged and according to the terms
prescribed by an AH, intitled, " An Ad for the farther
Security of the government," and who have neglected to
' take and fubferibe the oath or affirmation appointed, to
be taken and fubferibed by an AH, intitled, « Alurther
Supplement to the AH intitled an AH for the further se
curity of government, " within the time limited, and ac
cording to the terms prescribed in said last mentioned Aft ;
and who shall refufe or negle& to take and fubferibe the
oath or affirmation of allegiance prescribed in said Atl,
passed the fifth day of December One thousand seven hun
dred and feveuty eight, if an inhabitant of the county of
Weffmoreland, Bedford, Cumberland or Northumberland,
on or before the day of or if an inhabitant
of any other county of this State, shall refufe or negleH to
take and fubferibe the said oath or affirmation in the said
Aft last referred to contained, on or before the day
of such persons shall be, and is hereby declared to
be excluded from, and incapable of electing or being elect
ed into, or holding any office or place of trust within this
government, and of serving on Juries; and moreover shall
be assessed, and liable and compelled to pay double the
county taxes which another perlon of equal estate, who has
taken such oath or affirmation fhaU be rated or assessed at,
to be levied as other county rates and levies are assessed
and collected: Provided always, That this shall not ex
tend to the office of Supervisor of the high-ways, Collec
tor of the public taxes, or of Overseers of the Poor.
W HEREAS some doubts have arisen on the con
flruHion of the said Ads, whether officers and soldiers in
the Continental army, who have not taken the oaths oi al
legiance within the times limited in the fame are intitled to
the privileges of citizens: To remove such doubts,
'Be it therefore enacted by the authority aforefaid, That
all officers both of the line and Gaff, attending the army,
and all soldiers who were in the service on the .aid firit day
of June, One thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight;
shall have, and are hereby declared to have all the privi-^
leges of citizens of this Common-Wealth, although they
have not taken the oaths aforefaid^ within the time and
In GENERAL ASSEMBLY of Pennsylvania.
Wednesday, September 22, 1779.
The Bill, intitled, " A further Supplement to the Test
" Laws of this State ;" was read a second time, and be
ing then again read and debated by paragraphs, was or
dered to be, tranferibed for a third reading, and printed for
public confederation. Extras from the Minutes,
JOHN MORRIS, Junior,
Clerk of the General Assembly.
^^o^l^&^\S®><&
^OB^I
G E NERAL
THURSDA Y,
PHILADELPHIA.
[ Price 2s. 6d. tingle, 2s. by the quantity.
OR
according to the terms in the said Ads limited and pre
scribed, as fully as if they had taken the said oaths.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That
every such persons so refufing or neglecting to take the said
oaths or affirmation, within the time hereby limited and
appointed, shall be for ever excluded from the fame, and
deprived of the privileges and benefits of a citizen or citi
zens, who shall have complied with this Aft.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid. That
so much of the before-mentioned ACT of Assembly,
intitled, “ An Aft obliging the male white inhabitants of
this State, to give assurances of allegiance to the fame, and
for other purposes therein mentioned," enabled the thirtieth
day of June, One thousand seven hundred and feventy
feven. And of the AH intirled, "An Aft for the further
Security of the government," and of the Supplement there
to, as are hereby altered, contradicted or supplied, fltail
be repealed and become null and void ; and that all other
parts of the fame Ads which are now in force shall, remain,
continue and be in as full force and effeft as if this Aft had
never been made.
In GENERAL ASSEMBLY of Pennsylvania.
Friday, September 24, 177,.
The Bill, intituled, " An Aft for railing the additional
" Sum of Five Million Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars
" for the Supplies for the current year One thousand seven
" hundred and seventy-nine , was read the second time,
and being debated by paragraphs, was ordered to be tran
scribed for the third reading, ai^ in the mean time printed
for public consideration.
Extract from the Minutes,
JOHN MORRIS, Jun.
Clerk of the General Assembly.
An ACT for racing the additional Sum of Fine Million Seven
Hundred Thousand Dollars for the current,ear 1779.
WHEREAS Congress, by their resolution dated
the day of last, have required, in
addition to the funis heretofore by them required, that the
further sum of 45,000,000 of dollars Should be raised with
in these United States, and paid into the Continental
Treasury on or before the firftdy of January next, and
have assigned the sum of 5,700,000 dollars thereof as the
quota of this State: AND WHEREAS it is the de
sire of the Representatives of the freemen of this State to
comply with the said resolution of Congress;
Be it enabled by the Representatives of the Freemen of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met, and
b, the authoi it, of the jame, That the said sum of 5,700,000
dollars shall be railed, levied, collected and paid within
the current year, over and above the sum of 4,000,000 of
dollars required to be raised by an Aft, intitled, " An Act
for railing the Supplies for the year 1779," and shall be
raised, assessed and taxed in the city of Philadelphia, and
the several counties of this State, according to the method
and proportions following ; that is to fay, for the city of
Philadelphia
Be it enabled b, the authority aforefaid, That the Com
missioners and Assessors of the city and county of Phila
delphia, and of every county in this State, shall meet to
gether on the day of next, at their usual
place @f meeting, and mall then and there issue their war
rants under their hands and seals, to the township, ward
or diftriH Assessors of each township, ward or diftrid
within their refpeHive counties, requiring him, the said
Assessor, to make a fair return in writing, on a certain
day to be by them appointed, of the names and firnames
of all the taxable inhabitants within their refpedive town
ships, wards or diftrids, together with a fair and true re
turn of all the estates, real and personal, made taxable by
this Aft, and to wnom such estates refpeflively belong.
And to enable the Commiffioffers and County Assessors to
do the ftriHeft juflice in quotaing the several townships,
wards and diftrids within the city and each county in this
State, the said Assessors are hereby impowered and requir
ed to admiuifter to each taxable within their refpedive
township, ward or diftria, an oath or affirmation, in the
following words: " I, A. B do swear (or solemnly, sin
cerely and truly declare and affirm) that the return which
I have made is a just and true return of all my taxable
property, real and personal, and that the sum of money
by me now returned, is all the ready money which I have
in my hands or poffefiion, or which any person or persons
has in his or her hands or possession for me, to the best of
my knowlege and belief, and that I have not diredly or in
direHly parted with or disposed of any ready money or
other property, with intention to avoid paying the tax
thereupon, or on any condition expressed or implied to
have the fame returned to me, except what 1 have, bona
fide, lent to the persons whose names I have returned to
you." And if any person or persons shall refufe or neglect
to give in a return as aforefaid, every such person or per
sons so refufing or neglecting shall for every such offence
forfeit and pay a sum equal to the tax at which such per
sons shall be rated by this Ad, to be levied and collected
by the Collector of the proper township, by virtue of a
special warrant, which the Cominiffioners of the city and
proper county are hereby impowered and required to
grant, and shall be paid into the Treasury of this Com
monwealth.
T^^^p¥ffi^
T H E
Published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, ]
ADVERTISER
IMW^ '^W
@6^^^&/&£&C*^
^EPTEM p, 1779.
And be it further enacted by the author;, aforefaid, That
the following enumerated articles shall be and are hereby
made taxable, and no other, viz. the time of fervitode of
all bound servants above the age of 14 years, all negroes
and mulatto slaves above the age of 12 years, all horses
and mares above 3 years old, all horned cattle above 2
years old, ready money in hand, plate, pleasurable car
riages, and all lands held by deed, warrant, location or
improvement, houses and lots of ground, bonds, notesand
all fpecialities conditioned for the payment of money, ex
cept loan-office certificates, all grist-mills, faw-mihs, full
ing-mills, flitting mills, hemp mills, oil-mdls, fnuff-mills
and paper-mills, all forges, furnaces, bloomaries, distil
leries, sugar-houses, breweries, ferries, and all wares and
merchandize, and all profeffiops, trades and occupations.
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
all and every the enumerated articles aforefaid, shall be va
lued at and for so much as they would, bona fide, fell for
(ready money in hand, bonds, notes and all specialties
conditioned for the payment of money, excepted,) and
such a rate or rates levied and assessed thereon, as will a
mount to the sum of money quotaed upon the city of Phi
ladelphia, and the several counties, townships, wards and
diftrifts within this State.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That
all bonds, notes and other fpecial:iety shall be liable to
and pay in the pound.
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
all ready money shall be liable to and pay in
the pound ; and the sums arising from the tax upon mo
ney, shall not be considered as part or included in these
veral quotas, but shall be considered as a separate fund for
Applying deficiencies, if any be or may happen;
thing in this A€t contained to the contrary in anv wifo
not with flapding. y
And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid That
all and singular the sum or sums of money arifing' from
the assessments made by virtue of this AH, shall be paid
into the Treasury of this State ; and the State-Treasurer is
hereby required forthwith to pay the said monies into the
Continental Treasury ; and the State-Treasurer shall have
for his trouble in receiving and paying the fame, the sum
°f , ~ for every hundred pounds. And the said
two Freeholders in each township, ward or diftrid in this
State, shall have for their trouble and expence in perform
ing the duties by this Ad required, the sum of
per day, and no more.
And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid That
the Commiffioness and County-Assessors within the citv
and several counties in this State, and the Assistant As
feffors of the several townships, wards and diftrids of the
city and several counties, shall have for their time and
pence in performing the duties required of them by tiZ
Aft,—the Cornmiffioners the sum of '
County-Assessors the sum of
ant Assessors the sum of per day a nd "
more. And the Collector of each township, war'd or
trier shall have for his trouble and expence in colleainc
the monies to be raised by virtue of this Aft, the sum of
for every
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid That
the Cornmiffioners and County-Assessors of the city and
several counties, and the Assistant and Collectors of
several to,sips, wards and diftrids in this Common
wealth, shall, for any negled or refufal to perform the
veral duties required of them by this Ad, be liable and
fobjed to the fame pains and penalties, fines and forfei
^ as Cornmiffioners, County-Assessors, Assistant-As
sessors and Collectors, refpedively, are liable or fobie^
a ^^ ""a and said pains and penalties
^ ? e ^laed, and said fines and forfeitures levied col
levied and paid, in the fame manner, and applied t'o
fame use, as the like pains and penalties, fines and forffi
tures, are by the said Aft
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, Tha'
when the Cornmiffioners and County Assessors shall receive
the returns of the township, ward or diftrift Assessors, as
before directed, they the said Cornmiffioners and County
Assessors shall forthwith proceed to quota their several.
townships, wards and diflrifts in the city of Philadelphia
and several counties, in proportion to the quantity and
quality of the property returned as aforefaid.
And be it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
the Commissioners of the city of Philadelphia and several
counties, shall, within days after the quotaing the
townships, wards and diftrids as aforefaid, furoift the
Assistant Assessor of each township, ward or difitiß with
a true and fair tranfeript of the quota or sum of money
justly chargeable upon such township to which such Assist.
ant Assessor doth belong.
Andbe it further enabled by the authority aforefaid, That
the township, ward or diftrift Assessor of each township,
ward or diftrid within this State, with the a^ Rance erf
two Freeholders of the proper township, ward or difiriß
appointed by the Cornmiffioners and County Assessors of
the city and proper county for that purpose, shall within
days after the said Assessor fhillbecome
possessed of the quota or sum of money so assessed, levy
and assess the fame equally and impartially on all and eve
ry person and on all the estates real and personal within
his township and made taxable by this Ad.
THE