1. The assessors of the several townships, boroughs, wards and districts within this province, are required on or before the twenty-fifth day of March next ensuing, to make in writing and deliver an exact list of the names and sirnames of every male white person capable of bearing arms, between the ages of sixteen and fifty years, (ministers of the gospel of all denomination, and servants purchased bona fide and for a valuable consideration, only excepted) residing in such township, borough, ward or district, to the commissioners of the county chosen by virtue of the act for raising of county rates and levies.
2. If any Assessor shall neglect or refuse to perform the duty aforesaid, the commissioners of the respective counties, or any two of them, are hereby required and enjoined to fine him in any sum not exceeding Ten Pounds, unless such assessor's refusal proceeds from conscientious motives; and such fine shall be levied and recovered ion the same manner as is directed by the laws of this province for levying and recovering fines imposed on assessors refucing or neglecting to perform the duties therein required of them, to be paid into the hands of the respective county treasurers, to be by them delivered to the same person, and applied to the same use, as the other monies directed to be levied by the resolves of this house.
3. The commissioners of the respective counties, or any two of them, are hereby required and enjoined to appoint some proper person to make out the list aforesaid, in the place of the assessor so refusing or neglecting, which person so appointed shall make out and return such list to the commissioners on or before the first day of May next ensuing.
4. Every assessor appointed in his place as aforesaid, shall, before he begins to make out the lists aforesaid, take an oath or affirmation, which any magistrate of the county is hereby required and enjoined to administer, without fee or reward: "That he will go to the place or places of abode of all and every person and persons residing within his township, borough, ward or district, and make a faithful and diligent enquiry of, and endeavor by all other lawful ways and means in his power, to procure a true and exact account and list of the names and sirnames of all male white persons capable of bearing arms, who are between the ages of sixteen and fifty years, residing within his township, borough, ward or district, and will make a return of such account or list (if an assessor) to the commissioners of the county respectively in which he resides, on or before the twentyfifth day of March next ensuinng, or (if a person appointedin the place of an assessor) on or before the first day of May next ensuing."
5. Every assessor, or other person appointed and acting in the place of an Assessor as aforesaid, shall receive for his trouble in making out and returning such lists the sum of Four Shillings for every day he shall be employed in that service.
6. If any dispute shall arise concerning the age of any non-associator, the same shall be determined before the commissioners of the county, or any two of them, by oath or affirmation of the person whose age is in question, which oath or affirmation the said commissioners, or any of them, is hereby required to administer, or by any other proper evidence.
7. The Captains of every company are required and enjoined on or before the 15th day of March next ensuing to deliver under his hand to the Colonel of the battalion to which he belongs, a copy of the articles of association signed by the associators of his company, therein mentioning the county and the township, borough, ward, or district, in which each of the said associators resides, which the Colonel shall carefully keep, and therefrom shall immediately make out and return on or before the twenty-fifth day of the same mgnth, a fair duplicate to the commissioners aforesaid of the respective counties in which the said associators respectively reside.
8. The said commissioners, or any two of them, are required on or before the first day of June next ensuing to meet together, and cause their clerks to make out fair lists of the names and sirnames of all persons mentioned in the duplicates returned to them aforesaid, with their paces of abode, who appear by the duplicates returned by the colonels not to have signed the articles of association; and thereupon the said commissioners are required to charge every such person not associating, over and above the rates and assessments set upon him by virtue of the laws of this province, the sum of Two Pounds Ten Shillings, on the lists made out by their order as aforesaid.
9. If any person charged by the commissioners as a non-associator, shall at the day of appeal produce to the commissioners a certificate from the commanding officer of any battalion, troop of horse, or company of artillery, that he has become an associator in such battalion, troop or company, the commissioners, or any two of them, shall make an allowance in favour of such person, of Two Shillings and Six-pence for each of the days of exercise appointed by this house, after such person became an associator, on which he attended his battalion, troop or company, or has been fined for non-attendance.
10. If any person changed by the commissioners as a non-associator shall die before the day of appeal, or if before that day an accomodation shall be made between Great-Britain and the colonies on this continent, and in consequence thereof the military association in this province shall be dissolved, in either of those cases, the commissioners, or any two of them, shall make an abatement in the assessment charged as aforesaid of Two Shillings and Six-pence for each of the days of exercise aforesaid, after the death of such non-associator, or the dissolution of the association.
11. If any non-associator, or the parent, guardian, master of mistress of any non-associator, between the ages of 16 and 21 years, or any other non-associator, shall think him or herself a grieved by the assessment aforesaid, he or she may appeal to the commissioners of the county wherein he or she resides, who, or any two of them, shall meet together on the 10th day of October next ensuing, and so from day to day as long as may be necessary, and at such place or places as the commissioners, or any two of them, shall appoint, of which days and places of meeting they shall cause the collectors to give due notice to the inhabitants, and then and there the said commissioners, or any two of them, shall hear such appeals as may be made to them, and may discharge such assessment, or lower the same, as to them, on consideration of all circumstances, shall appear just and equitable.
12. The said commissioners of the respective counties, or any two of them, within ten days after hearing and determining the appeals made to them, shall rectify and adjust the lists returned to them as aforesaid, and the assessments thereon, and deliver to the treasurers of the respective counties a true account of the sums total which every collector shall be charged with in pursuance of these resolves, and shall cause their clerks to make out and deliver fair duplicates thereof to the respective collectors of the townships, boroughs, wards and districts within their respective counties, who shall collect the said sums, keeping exact and separate accounts of the sums so charged on non-associators, and shall pay the same into the hands of the respective county treasurers, who shall pay the same into the hands of Michael Hillegas, Esquire, to be applied to such purposes as this or any future house of assembly shall judge most likely to promote the public welfare: And all persons shall be liable to the payment of the said sums in the same manner, and the collectors shall have the same powers, and shall proceed in collecting and levying the said sums, and shall be accountable, in the same manner as is directed by the act, entitled, "An act for raising of county rates and levies."
13. The allowances to the collectors of such assessments, and to the treasurers respectively, shall be the same with those appointed and directed in the collection of fines from associators for non-attendance.
14. The treasurers of the respective counties before they enter on the duties hereby required of them, shall give the like security for the faithful discharge of their office to the commissioners of their several counties, that they are now obliged by the laws of this province to give for the due payment of provincial taxes.
15. All and every person and persons who are required or enjoined by these resolutions, or any of them, to discharge or perform any of the offices or duties herein before mentioned, are hereby further earnestly and solemnly required and enjoined, with all diligence and fidelity, strenuously to exert themselves in discharging and performing such offices and duties, and every part thereof, as they regard the freedom, security and happiness of their country.
