Legislative History

On 22 December 1780, the General Assembly of the new state of New Jersey passed a law to more effectively prevent inhabitants of the state from trading with the British forces (see Acts of the Fifth General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, first sitting, Chap. V, pp. 11 19). By section 18 of this law, merchants in counties bordering enemy territory (i.e. New York), and selling goods produced outside New Jersey or neighboring states, were required to apply to the county court of quarter sessions for a license to open a shop or store. Petitioners were required to solicit signatures from fifteen "reputable and well-affected" freeholders from the same county, certifying the applicant to also be of good repute and "well-affected" to the government of the state.

The penalty for selling foreign goods without a license was six pounds per offense—half of which was to go to the support of the poor in the township where the offense was committed. The courts were allowed to charge six shillings for the issuance of the license. They were also empowered, of course, to revoke any shopkeeper's license if a legitimate complaint was made against him.