1793 N.H. Laws 464-65, An Act to Prevent the Keeping of Large Quantities of Gun-Powder in Private Houses in Portsmouth, and for Appointing a Keeper of the Magazine Belonging to Said Town.

That if any person or persons, shall keep in any dwelling-house, store or other building on land, within the limits of said Portsmouth, except the magazine aforesaid, more than ten pounds of gun-powder at any one time, which ten pounds shall be kept in a tin canister, properly secured for the purpose, such person or persons shall forfeit the powder so kept to the firewards of said Portsmouth to be laid out by them in purchasing such utensils as they may judge proper for the extinguishing of the fire; and the said firewards are hereby directed and empowered to seize, and cause the same to be condemned in any court of record proper to hear and try the same, to be disposed of for the purchase aforesaid. And the offender shall also forfeit and pay a fine for the use of the poor of said Portsmouth, equal to the value of the powder so kept in any store, dwelling-house, or building; which fine, shall be sued for and recovered by the overseers of the poor of said Portsmouth, for the use of said poor, in any ourt of law proper to try the same.