1867 Miss. Laws 327-28, An Act To Tax Guns And Pistols in The County Of Washington, ch. 249, § 1.
[A] tax of not less than five dollars or more than fifteen dollars shall be levied and assessed annually by the board of Police of Washington county upon every gun and pistol which may be in the possession of any person in said county, which tax shall be payable at any time on demand, by the Sheriff, and if not so paid, it shall be the duty of the Sheriff to forthwith distrain and seize such gun or pistol, and sell the same for cash at the door of the Court House, after giving ten days notice by advertisement, posted in front of said Court House, and out of the proceeds of such sale, there shall be paid the amount of such tax and the cost of sale, and if any surplus remains, it shall be paid to the owner of such gun or pistol. The amount of the tax so assessed and collected, shall be paid to the county Treasurer, and shall constitute a part of the bridge fund of said county.