VI. And be it enacted, That the valuation of lots in Rule as to the cities, boroughs or towns, shall (except where man- lots in town, ifest inequality may have taken place) stand and remain as they now are are; and in cases where lots may be added to any city, borough or town, or where new towns may be established, or where alienations or partitions may take place, or where mistakes may have been made in former valuations, the county commissioners aforesaid shall be governed by the same rules & and regulations as by this act are established with regard to land in like cases.

VII. And be it further enacted, That in case of the Vacancies death, disability or refusal to act of the examiners ap- how supplie in examiners pointed by this act, or either of them, it shall be lawful ed. for the governor. with advice of council, to fill up the vacancy occasioned thereby.

An act to secure the estate of Maurice Wheeler to Lettice Wheeler his wi dow, and four children.

[Chapter CXV in original.]

Estate of

1. Be it enacted by this present General Assembly, That the whole estate, both real and personal, of Mau Maurice rice Wheeler, who was convicted of murder at the ses convicted of Wheeler, sion of the general court in October last, and executed murder, and accordingly, be, and the same is hereby vested in, Let- executed, tice Wheeler his widow, and four children, to be diviT

VOL. XIA

vested in his

widow and children,

ded amongst them agreeable to the act of assembly for the distribution of intestates estates; subject, neverthe less, to the debts of the deceased.

[Cháp.CXVI in original.]

ty courte, &

CHAP. XXI,

An act concerning Pensioners.

1. BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That the Pensioners courts of the several counties are hereby empowered to be exami- and required, in the months of April and May next, ned by coun. to enquire into the condition and state of the bodily ability of all pensioners, and persons receiving an antheir condi- mual allowance from the commonwealth in consideration tration of wounds, and to report their proceedings to the general as next session of assembly. The county lieutenant, or sembly,

a state of

commanding officer of every county, shall cause this act to be read to the militia at the general musters next after the passing of this act. All pensioners, or others, receiving such annual allowances, failing to attend, or in case of inability to represent by good proof to the said courts, a true state of their bodily ability as aforesaid, shall forfeit such pensions or allowances. commanding officer, and the justices of every county, failing to perform their duty herein, shall each forfeit and pay the sum of fitty pounds, to be recovered with costs, by information, in any court of record, to the use of the informer.

The

An act to sell certain lands belonging to the estate of William Kennon, deceased, for the benefit of his chitdren.

[Ch. CXVII in original]

Kennon de

ceased, to be sold for the

benefit of his children.

1. WHEREAS it is represented to this present gen- Certain lands eral assembly, that William Kennon, being in his life- belonging to time seized in fee of about two thousand two hundred the estate of William acres of land, lying in the county of Charles City, and dying so seized, leaving several daughters to whom the said lands descended as coleiresses: And whereas it is represented that the said daughters have not any slaves to work the said lands, and that the rents arising therefrom are not sufficient to support and maintain those daughters under age, and that it would be greatly for their benefit if the said lands were sold; and application being made for that purpose, as well by the daughters who are of age, as the guardians of those as those, as w under age:

II. Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly, That the said tract of land of which the said William, Kennon died seized, in the said county of Charles City, containing about two thousand two hundred acres, be, and the same is hereby vested in, John-Tyler, William Randolph, and Benjamin Harrison (of Brandon) gentlemen, trustees, to be by them, or any two of them, sold at public auction, in such parcels or lots as they may judge best; the time and place of which sale, to be previously advertised in the Virginia Gazette two months. And the said trustees, or any two of them, áre hereby empowered to convey the said lands to the purchaser, or purchasers, in fee simple; who shall thenceforth hold and enjoy the same, free from the claim of the daughters of the said William Kennon, or either of them, or their heirs, forever. And the said trustees, or any two of them, shall render an account of the sales of the said lands to the county court of Charles City, to be there recorded. And the money arising from such sales shall be paid in equal proportions, after des ducting the expences of the safe, to those who are of age, and to the guardians of those who are under age,

to be by them placed out to interest, on good and sufficient landed security, to be approved of by the court of the said county of Charles City. Saving to all persons and bodies politic or corporate, their heirs or successors, other than the daughters of the said William Kennon, or those claiming under them, all such right or title as they, or any of them, would have had in or to the said lands, had this act never been made.

[Ch. CXVIII in original.]

Kerr died

William Short, dec'd. by the daugh ter of the said Kerr.

CHAP. XXIIL

An act to vest certain escheatable pra perty in the children of William Short, deceased.

Slaves of 1. WHEREAS it hath been represented to this prewhich Geo. sent general assembly, that a certain George Kerr died intestate, possessed of several slaves, leaving two sons possessed, & supposed to and one daughter, which said daughter bath since inbe escheated termarried with William Short, esq; of Surry county, to the com- and one of the said sons died also intestate, soon after monwealth, vested in the the death of his said father, and before any appraisechildren of ment or division of the said slaves took place, whereby, and by the laws of this commonwealth, the said slaves became vested in the heir at law of the said George Kerr, he being subject only to the payment of a proportion of their appraised value to his sister, the wife of the said William Short; and the said heir at law hav ing, previous to the commencement of this war, remo ved himself from this commonwealth, before any division or appraisement of the said slaves, to some part of the British dominions, and not having since returned, the said slaves have become escheatable to this commonwealth; and the said William Short is lately dead, and by his last will and testament hath devised, that the said negroes shall be equally divided among all his children; his wife, the daughter of the said George Kerr, being also dead:

Chap. CXIX in original.

An act concerning the titles of settlers cban. Rev. on lands surveyed for sundry com- pa. 179. panies.

1. WHEREAS by the act of assembly intituled, Preamble, "An act for adjusting and settling the titles of claim- reciting pro ers to unpatented lands, under the present and former of May 1779, visions of act government, previous to the establishment of the com- ch. 12, m famonwealth's land office," the title of settlers on land sur- vour of setveyed for sundry companies by orders of council, were lands, ser tlers on to be adjudged by certain commissioners appointed for veyed for that purpose; and that if the parties, their heirs or sundry com. assigns, to whom such titles shall be adjudged, shall panies. not within six months at farthest, from the time of their respective judgments in their favour, pay or tender to the company to whom the same is due, or their agent, the price and interest so fixed by the commissioners, the title of every person so failing, shall be forfeited, and to all intents and purposes, null and void.

II. And whereas it is represented to this present Former act, general assembly, that from the great scarcity of spe- declaring cie, the persons to whom such titles have been adjudg- forfeiture of ed, have not been able to pay the price of their lands and interest within the time limited by the said act: pealed.

land on non

payment, re