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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Laws of North Carolina, 1673
Carolina. Albemarle County. General Assembly
November 1673
Volume 25, Pages 137-138

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LAWS OF NORTH CAROLINA—1673.

(Shaftesbury Papers, Bundle 48, No. 92.)

ACT I.
To Prevent Intrudeing Into Just Claimes of Land.

To prevent any prejudice which may accrue to the Inhabitants of this County by the incroaching into the lands which other men have rights to hold the same by as soon as conveniency may serve to survey and patent the same according to the Lords instructions, Be it therefore enacted by the Pallatine and the rest of the Lords Proprietors to and with the advice and consent of the grand Assembly that every Inhabitant of this County shall be allowed the priviledge to have the first survey of the land he liveth on and layeth claime to adjoyninge to him having rights to lay upon it sufficient to hold the same and the first seater to have the privilege of the first survey. Provided he claime no more than he can make rights appeare for. Nor exceed their first knowne claime where with consent (for neighborhood or otherwise) any people have seated downe together.

ACT II.
For Encouragement of Owners of Vesseles Living in the County.

For encouragement of Owners of vessels who are inhabitants and traders in the County of Albemarle. Be it enacted by the Pallatine and the rest of the Lords Proprietors by and with the advice and consent of the Grand Assembly. That all Persons whatsoever liveing in this County haveing Vessells tradeing to and from the same shall pay but fifty pounds of tobacco for entereing and cleareing such Vessels of what burther soever if decked at each turne he shall so enter and cleare But those who trade in open boats of what content soever to pay nothinge but the certifieinge the authority of the place of their comeinge and goeinge.

ACT III.
To Repeal a Former Acte.

Whereas the fifty-fourth Act made by the Assembly April the eighteenth 1672 prohibiting rum to be sold at above twenty-five pounds of Tobacco per gallon may prove prejuditiale to the Inhabitants of this County by retarding Merchants and dealers who with that commoditie & others more benefitiall for the counties use may be hindered & diverted from bringeinge the more benefitiall commodities because they are prohibited of makeinge their profits of their rum afore said Be it therefore Enacted by the Pallatine & the rest of the Lords Proprietors by and with the advice and consent of ye Grand Assembly. That the said fifty-fourth Act (concerneinge rum) be henceforth repealed null and voide.

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ACT IV.
Concerning Wild Cattle.

For prevention of uninterested persons in huntinge & killinge wild or outlyinge Cattle on any neck of land within this County, Be it therefore Eacted by the Pallatine and the rest of the Lords Proprietors by and with the advice and consent of the Grande Assembly, That no person or persons whatsoever who can lay noe just claime to any wild or outlyinge cattle on any neck of land in this County shall have any priviledge to hunt, range for or kill any wild our outlyinge cattle on such land, unless impowered by such who have And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid That it may and it shall be lawful for any person whatsoever to hunt for and kill wild or outlyinge Cattle on any neck of land where he hath such wild or outlyinge Cattle Provided he kill no more than he can probably lay claim to on such land and haveing killed such proportion as he hath probably made appeare to belonge to him, then such person to desist And for the better knowledge of every man's particular claime to such cattle It is further thought convenient That all those who claime any title to wild Cattle on any Neck appoynt a meetinge amonge themselves to declare & with all probabilities possible make appeare to each other the quantitie they have out which being agreed on amongst themselves each interested person to kill givinge an account justly what he killeth to the rest who have interrest.

(The above are endorsed “Albemarle Acts of Pt. sent inclosed in a letter of 10 Nov. '73.”)