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To His Excellency Josiah Martin his Majestys Captain General, Governor and Commander in Chief in and Over the Province of North Carolina, and to the Honourable the Members of his Majestys Council, Mr Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of Assembly

The petition of us the Subscribers inhabitants of Guilford County Humbly Sheweth: that your petitionars is Deprived of that Natural & profitable priviledge of Catching fish in Deep River as formerly by its Chanel being stopt by several mill Dams being made quite

across said River to the Great hurt of many poor familys who Depended on said fishing for great part of their living, it being well known that No River of its Size in this provence afforded a greater Quantity of Exelant Shad and other fish. We therefore Humbly pray that you through your great goodness would Condesend to pass a law in our favour so far as to oblige the owners of said dams to afix proper flood gates in their dams from the mouth of said River to Field & Dicks mill above the trading path and them to keep open at proper times from the tenth of fabruary to the tenth of april that the said inhabitents may in some maner be Restored to their former priveledge of Catching fish and your petetioners as in Deuty Bound shall ever pray

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