At an Assembly, begun and held at New Bern, the Twenty-third day of October, in the Ninth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the Grace of God, of Great-Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c., and in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-nine: Being the First Session of this present Assembly. William Tryon, Esq., Governor.
I. Whereas, it is necessary that some person or persons properly Qualified be appointed by Public Authority to solicit and truly Represent the affairs of this Province at the several Boards in England,
II. Be it Enacted by the Governor, Council and Assembly, and by the Authority of the same, That Henry Eustace McCullock, Esquire, be and is hereby appointed Agent for this Province to solicit, Represent and Transact all such public affairs and business now relating to the said Province, or that shall or may be moved concerning the same, at any of the said Boards in England during the said Term, according as he shall, from time to time, find occasion or be directed and instructed by the Committee of Correspondence hereinafter appointed. And the said Henry Eustace McCullock have and receive for his Trouble and Expences in soliciting the Affairs and public concerns of this Province the sum of Two Hundred pounds sterling, paid in London annually, to be paid by Warrant from His Excellency the Governor, out of the Public Treasury to the said Committee and by them to be remitted to the said Henry Eustace McCullock.
III. And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Honorable Lewis Henry DeRassett, Alexander McCullock and Robert Palmer, Esquires, members of Council, John Harvey, Joseph Montfort, Edward Vail, John Campbell & Benjamin Harvey, Esquires, or the Majority of them, or the Majority of the survivors of them, be and they are hereby nominated and appointed a Committee to correspond with and from time to time during the continuance of this Act, to advise, direct and instruct the said Henry Eustace McCullock in all such matters relating to this Province as may be moved or solicited, or that they may think proper at any time to move or solicit, before any of the Boards in England, and the said Committee shall, from time to time when thereto required, lay before the General Assembly of this Province the advices they shall receive from the said Agent and also copy of such dispatches, Orders and directions as they shall send to him.
IV. And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That this Act shall continue and be in force for and during the term of two years from and after the second day of December next.
I. Whereas, neither of the three persons recommended by his Excellency the Governor, as proper persons to serve as Sheriff for the County of Beaufort,
by the Inferior Court of the said County in April One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Eight, did apply for a Commission.II. And whereas, the then acting Sheriff did resign his said office of Sheriff at July Inferior Court next following, by which means the said County became Destitute of a Sheriff, and the Coroner of the said County refusing to Act under the rules and regulations agreeable to the true intent and meaning of an Act of Assembly, Intitled An Act for appointing Sheriffs and directing their duty in office.
III. And whereas, the said Henry Lockey being one of the three persons recommended to His Excellency the Governor, by the Inferior Court of the County aforesaid, at April Court aforesaid, did Obtain a Commission from His Excellency the Governor bearing date the third day of November next following his said recommendation from the Inferior Court aforesaid, And in order that publick as well as Private business should not be delayed in the said County for the want of an executive Officer, a Sufficient number of the Justices of the Peace for the said County (which by Act of Assembly are authorized to hold an Inferior Court) did meet at the Court-House of the said County, with the Clerk of the Inferior Court of the said County, in the month of November aforesaid, and then and there did take from the said Henry Lockey the Bonds and Securities agreeable to an Act of Assembly in such case made and provided, and did cause the said Henry Lockey to take the several oaths by law appointed for his qualification. Whereupon, the said Henry Lockey did immediately enter upon the execution of his said office.
IV. And whereas, the legality of the said Henry Lockey's qualification as aforesaid, is by some persons disputed.
V. Be it therefore Enacted by the Governor, Council and Assembly, and by the Authority of the same, That the qualification of the said Henry Lockey as aforesaid, and every act and acts by him done under such qualification in virtue of his office as Sheriff of the said County of Beaufort, is hereby declared to be good and valid in Law, to all intents and purposes whatsoever.
Ratified 6th day of November, 1769.