My Lords
Ever since the year 1679 the importation of Tobacco from North Carolina has been prohibited by Law, and when the whole body of the Laws of this Colony were revised and reenacted the same prohibition was continued by a new act which was granted and approved by your Lordships Board, but that Act being doubtfully penn'd and seeming only to retain an importation by water (as in truth there could be no other at that time when the fronteers of both governmts were so little seated and no roads to render land carriage practicable) and the mischeifs increasing greatly within these few years by the number of People that have seated as well within ye Bounds in controversy between the two Governmts as on the Northern Fronteers of Carolina it has been judged necessary to put a stop to that practice, by the Act passed this Session, ent an Act for the more effectual preventing the bringing Tobacco from North Carolina and the Bounds in Controversy: the reason of which is sett forth in the preamble, that the people of Carolina and of those boundaries being under no regulation in the manner of making and packing their Tobacco do by the importation of trash greatly injure the reputation of the Virga manufacture, and it is hoped this prohibition will fecilitate the determination of the controverted boundaries, and bring the People seated there more easily to submit to the Government of this Colony, since by a proviso in this Act they are to be no longer restrain'd than till the Limitts of the two Governments be determined.