The Journal of the Commons House of Assembly

46 COMMONS JOURNAL, NOVEMBER 14, 1757–DECEMBER 9, 1757better releif of the Poor, as directs the nomination of Overseers of the Pooryearly, will Greatly Lighten & make easy the Duty of the Church Wardens.And that a due enforcement of the other Paragraphs of the said Acts of Assemblywill also prevent any Impositions of other Poor becoming Chargeable to thesaid Parish of St. Philip Charles Town than those which of right belong to it.But for as much as the Charge of relieving & maintaining the poor ofthe said Parish of St. Philip Charles Town, hath, of Late Years, increased, asyour Committee are informed, to £3000 Current Money, or upwards, Yearly,Your Committee considering that the Church Wardens & Overseers of thePoor of the said Parish (in case such shall hereafter be appointed as the Actdirects) will be destitute of ready Money to enable them to relieve their Poorfrom Time to Time unless some further Provision shall be made in that behalfhumbly offer to this House, as their Opinion, that instead of the sumof £70 allowed to be assessed on the said Parish for a Fund for the Poor Yearly,it will be proper for the future to assess the sum of £1500 Current Money towardsanswering the Charges of each next coming Year.That as the Acadians which were heretofore sent to the Parishes in theCountry & have since Stroll’d & returnd to Charles Town, whether they aremaintained by one Parish or another, the Charges incurred on that Score,the Committee observe, center on the Public & are provided for in the Annualprovincial Tax, nevertheless it appears to your Committee that the Lawspassed for the dispersion of the said Accadians gives sufficient power to theseveral Justices of the Peace in this Province upon Complaint to be made tothem in that behalf to Cause all such Strollers to be carried back to theirrespective Parishes.That it is the Opinion of your Committee that all Charges which arise forthe maintenance & relief of the wives & Children of Soldiers or the Invalids dischargedfrom the Independant Companies ought to be borne by the Public.And as your Committee is credibly inform’d that there are now inCharles Town a number of helpless, naked & forlorn Acadians in danger ofperishing unless they be Imediatly releived; the Committee beg leave to recommendthem to the Compassion of this Honorable House to bestow uponthem such timely Succours as Shall be thought suitable to the Extreme Necessitiesof those miserable Persons.And Lastly your Committee offer to the House their Oppinion that theFine or Forfeiture of Ten Pounds appointed by Law about forty or fifty Yearsago when the Currency of this Province was nearly in Value to ProclamationMoney to be paid by such as shoud be chosen & nominated Church Warden& Overseers of the Poor & who shall refuse to Act in those Offices is becometoo small to answer the purpose thereof. And the Committee recommendthat the said Fine or Forfeiture be Enlarged to Fifty Pounds Current Money.