MS 83.  Literal transcription – misspellings are left intact, xxx denotes illegible word, italicized items are my own comments for clarification.  Please note that in some instances, the letter “s” may have been replaced with the letter “f” and the letter “e” may have been replaced with the letter “o,”  as was the custom at that time – TG.

Title Page:

An Act, to exempt five Men to be Employed at the Paper Mill belonging to Stacy Potts at Trenton in the County of Hunterdon-

This Bill having been three timos read in Council is pafsed-

                                                Signed: Bowes Reed

                                                            Negatived

In pencil: Gift of John A. Campbell

Body:

An Act to exempt five Men to be Employed at the Paper Mill belonging to Stacy Potts at Trenton in the County of Hunterdon-

Whereas Stacy Potts by his Petition hath set forth that he is desirous of carrying on the Businefs of Paper Making, but, that the Workmen which which will be necefsarily employed at his Paper Mill, being Objects of the Militia Law will in all probability be so frequently called away, that, he will thereby be disabled from carrying on the said Businefs to any Effect, and from furnishing the Publick with the necefsary Article of Paper And hath therofore prayed that a Law may be pafsed to exempt five Men to be employed in the said Paper Mill, from the duties and services injoined by the Militia Law-

Sec: 1   Be it therefore Enacted, by the Council and General Afsembly of this State, and it is hereby Enacted by the Authority of the same, That, any number of Men not exceeding five, to be Employed by the said Stacy Potts at his Paper Mill, shall be and they hereby are exempted from actual service in the Militia during the time they shall be so employed, Provided that the Men so exempted be furnished with Arms, Amunition and Accoutroments, as by Law is directed for the Militia and that they be subject to be called into actual service, on a Call of the Militia when the County in which they are employed shall be actually invaded.  And Provided also that the Workmon so as aforesaid exempted, be subject to a Tax in the same manner and in the like proportion with the exempted by Law from Military Duty-

Council Chamber April 13^th 1778

This Bill having been three timos read in Council.  Resolved that the same do pafs

By Order of the House  Signed: Jno. Stevens, Pres’t

                                                                        June 19^th 78 negatived