three weeks after such commitment, cause such slave or slaves to be advertised in the Virginia gazette, which advertisement shall be inserted in three successive papers, and if no owner shall appear within the time limited for the confinement of such slave or slaves, the sheriff or goaler may hire out such slave or slaves for the payment of his prison fees and the expences of advertising. And if the owner shall apply within the time aforesaid, he shall pay the said fees and expences of advertising, and the further sum of twenty shillings for each slave so confined and advertised as aforesaid.

ted

Penalties

IV. And it is further enacted, That the penalties by this act imposed may be recovered in any court of re- how to be cord in this commonwealth, by action of debt, indict- recovered & ment or information, and shall be applied, the one half appropria thereof to the use of the commonwealth, and the other half to the use of the informer. Provided always, Bona fide That this act, so far as it respects the penalties to be purchasers incurred for not delivering to the owner, or not pub- exempted from penal lishing any such slaves, horses or other property, shall ties. not extend to bona fide purchasers of such slaves, horses or other property, or to such as may have pursued the method directed by the laws now in force for taking up of strays. Provided also, That this act shall not extend to slaves, horses or other property taken by the enemy and retaken in action by any soldier or citizen of this state, or any of the United States, except where the same were by capitulation or agreement to ken in acbe returned to their owners.

Act not to extend to property ta my and reta ken by ene

tion.

·VOL. XI.

{Ch. XLIX, in original.]

Further time

CHAP. IX.

An act giving further time to the purchasers of lots in the towns of Moorefield and Bath to build there

on.

1. WHEREAS the purchasers of lots in the town' allowed pur- of Moorefield, from the difficulty of procuring materials, have not been able to build on their said lots within the time prescribed by an act entitled, " An act for establishing the town of Moorefield, in the county of Hampshire:

chasers of lots, in towns of Moorefield and Bath, to build there

II. Be it therefore enacted, That the farther time of three years, from the passing of this act, shall be allowed the purchasers of lots in the said town to build upon and save the same.

III. And whereas the purchasers of lots in the town of Bath, in the county of Berkeley, labour under the like inconveniencies, arising from the same causes; for remedy whereof,

IV. Be it further enacted, That the purchasers of lots in the said last mentioned town shall be allowed the farther time of three years, from the passing of this act, to build on and save the same; any law to the contrary thereof notwithstanding.

CHAP. X.

[Chap. L, in original.]

Continued

by May 1788 c. 4, & Oct.

An act to ascertain the losses and injuries sustained from the depredations of the enemy within this com- 1788, c. 10. monwealth.

evidence of

enemy.

I. BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That County the courts of the several counties within this state shall, courts to coland they are hereby empowered and required either to lect & state hold special courts, or to appoint so many of their own injuries from body as to them shall seem most proper, to collect and depredastate, from the best proof the nature of the case will tions of the admit of, the various losses and injuries, both public and private, which have been sustained within their respective counties during the war, from the depredations. of the enemy in their several invasions, and to state the same under so many different heads as such losses or injuries may consist of, and return their proceedings How to reherein, together with the proofs made in support there- proceedings. of, to the governor and council, to be by them laid before the next assembly.

port their

CHAP. XI.

An act to survey certain roads.

{* Chap. LI in original.J

I. WHEREAS the roads from the passes in the Preamble, mountain commonly called the Blue Ridge to the seat of government, and to other sea-port towns, and from one sea-port town to another, are so indirect and unfixed that great difficulty and expence hath arose to the good people of this commonwealth travelling thereon, as well as greatly encreasing the public charge of carriage: To prepare for the remedy of which evil,

II. Be it enacted, That where any one or more persons shall employ a surveyor, with his proper attend

roads

to the seat

of govern

Survey of ants, at his or the said employers own expence, to surthrough the vey any road or roads as aforesaid, and the surveyor passes in the with his said attendants shall first, before some justice Blue Ridge of the peace, make oath or affirmation that they will justly and truly do their duty in the mensuration and ment, or to survey 30 employed in by the employer or employers aforesaid, and having a certificate thereof from the said justice, shall be permitted and empowered to take the courses and measure the said roads, and mark the disanother, au- tance of miles on any of the natural grown trees on the thorised, at sides thereof, if his instructions from his employer or the expense employers so direct; and the said surveyor who shall ties employ- have been so qualified and run his courses along the ing survey traverses and meanders of any road from the said moun

sea-port towns, and

from one sea

port town to

of the par

ors.

tain to the seat of government, to any other sea-port town, or from one sea-port town to another, shall hereby be further empowered, with his necessary attendants. as aforesaid, without any let or hindrance whatsoever, to run a protracted or straight line to his place of departure, or to any other point, to ascertain the true distance, that the same may be laid before the next or some future general assembly of this commonwealth, to take future order therein.

III. And be it further enacted, That if any person or persons shall stop, oppose or hinder any surveyor or his attendants from doing their duty therein as aforesaid, upon proof thereof made, he or they shall pay all costs attending such survey, and the penalty of ten pounds, to be recovered in any court of record within this commonwealth. Provided nevertheless, That no protracted course of any survey to be made as aforesaid, shall be run between the first day of May and the fifteenth day of July, whereby damage shall be done to any field of grain by the surveyor and his attendants passing through the same, without consent of the owner thereof.

- IV. And be it further enacted, That any penalty recovered by virtue of this act, shall be appropriated towards lessening the county levy where such recovery shall be made.

CHAP. XII.

An act to establish a town at the courthouse in the county of Buckingham.

1. WHEREAS it hath been represented to this ge- Town of neral assembly, that the laying off ninety-six acres of Greensville land in lots and streets for town at the court-house ham courtat Bucking. in the county of Buckingham, will be of great utility: house estaII. Be it therefore enacted, That ninety-six acres of blished. land, lying on the public road leading from the said court-house down the country, and uninclosed, being part of a large tract of land the property of John Cox, be, and the same is hereby vested in John Nicholas, Joseph Cabell, Thomas Miller, Charles Patteson, and Thomas Anderson, gentlemen, trustees, to be by them, or any three of them, laid out into lots of half an acre each, with convenient streets, which shall be, and the same is hereby established a town, by the name of Greensville: That so soon as the said ninety-six acres of land shall be so laid off into lots and streets, the said trustees, or any three of them, shall proceed to sell the said lots at public auction for the best price that can be had, the time and place of which sale shall be previously advertised for three months in the Virginia gazette, the purchasers to hold the said lots respectively subject to the condition of building on each of the said. lots a dwelling-house sixteen feet square at least, to be finished fit for habitation within five years from the day of sale; and the said trustees, or any three of them, shall, and they are hereby empowered to convey the said lots to the purchasers thereof in fee simple, subject to the condition aforesaid, and pay nine-tenths of the money arising from the sale thereof to the said John Cox, his heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, and the remaining one-tenth to apply towards repairing the court-house and building a prison for the said. county: Provided always, That four of the said lots in the centre of the said town shall be, and they are hereby reserved for the public use of the said county.