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An Act concerning Trade with
the Indians
Bee it Enacted by the Lord Proprietary with the consent of
the upper and lower house of this Assembly that from hence
forward every Inhabitant of this Province shall have free lyberty
to trade with any Indian or Indians within this Province for any
Beaver or other Comodities, and to pass upon any River or
Creeke or other passage through any parte of this Province to
trade for the like Comodityes with any Indian or Indians with-
out this Province and to exporte the Cumudityes or any of
them soe to bee traded for from time to time out of this pro-
vince excepting Corne which shall not bee exported out of this
province without especiall leave for the same to bee obteyned
from time to time from the Leiuetenant or Cheife Governor of
this province or such other Officer or Officers for the time
being as hee or the Lord Proprietary or his heires Lords and
proprietarys of this province shall from time to time appoynt
paying a tenth in weight or vallue for all the Beaver soe traded
for, for a Custome to his said Lordship and his heires Lords
and Proprietarys of this Province, Provided that noe person or
persons who shall att any time hereafter trade as aforesaid, doe
sell any Armes or Ammunition to any Indian or Indians, nor
impertinently maliciously or wilfully quarrell with or give any
just occasione of offence to any Indian or Indians soe trading
with him or them wherby the publick peace or safety of this
province may be endangered by any warre or Insurrection of
any of the said Indian or Indians or any mischeife done by any
of them to any of the Inhabitants or people of or in this pro-
vince, And Provided allsoe that noe person or persons who
shall soe trade as aforesaid doe enhance the price of Corne att
any time in any such trade to the notorious prejudice of the
Inhabitants and people of and in this Province nor goe forth
upon any such Trade too weake in strength either in men or
Armes and Ammunition wherby those Indians with whome
they shall goe to trade may bee the more emboldened to
destroy them or doe them mischeife For the better prevention
of all which It is allsoe enacted by the Authority and with the
Assent aforesaid that all and every person or persons who
shall desire to trade as aforesaid shall first from time to time
have the Lycence of the Leiuetenant or Cheife Governor of
the Province for the time being or of such Officer or Officers
as hee or the Lord Proprietary or his heires shall from time to
time appoynte for soe tradeing who shall never deny such
Lycence to any Inhabitant of this Province that shall att any
time desire the same, and that shall give such security and
sattisfaction as shall bee reasonable and just to the Leiuetenant
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P. R. O.
Colonial En-
try Book
No. 53
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