CHAP. XVIII.

An act to amend an act intituled, An act for suspending in part the operation of the act concerning escheats and forfeitures from British subjects.

[Ch. LVIII in original.]

Slaves of

escheated &

1. BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That all the slaves formerly belonging to Walter King, which Walter King were escheated under the act concerning escheats and purchasedon forfeitures from British subjects, and purchased for the behalf of use or on account of this commonwealth, be restored to Walter King Cole, and be vested in him and his heirs stored to and assigns forever.

common

wealth, re

Walter King

So much of

sation, ex

II. And be it enacted, That so much of the act of Cole. assembly intituled, "An act to suspend in part the ope- former act as ration of the act intitnled, An act concerning escheats gives Walter and forfeitures from British subjects," as gives the said King Cole, Walter King Cole, or any other person, a right to de- any compen mand any kind of price or compensation for the sale cept reasonof the said slaves, (other than reasonable hire for the time they remained in the public service, which is here by directed to be accounted for and allowed to the said Walter King Cole) shall be, and is hereby repealed: Saving to all persons, other than the said Walter King and all persons claiming under him, all the right, title and interest they would or might have had if this act had never been made.

able hires, while slaves in public service, re

pealed,

Recital of

from John

his estate

III. And whereas by a deed of bargain and sale from John Harmer, esquire, of Great-Britain, to George conveyance Harmer, esquire, now a citizen of this commonwealth, Harmer to all the estate both real and personal of the said John George HarHarmer, lying and being in this commonwealth, is con- mer of all veyed to the said George Harmer, in fee simple, and real and perother parts of the said estate beside that situate in the sonal in this county of Henry, has remained unsold under the es- commoncheat and forfeiture act, and the operation of the said wealth, act is only suspended so far as relates to the lands in the said county of Henry:

All the es

IV. Be it therefore enacted, That all the other es- tate formersate, of what nature or kind soever, which formerly be- ly belonging

mer declar

to John Har- longed to the said John Harmer, within this commone ed not sub-wealth, and which now remains unsold by virtue of the ject to es- escheat and forfeiture act, and which is conveyed by

cheat.

the said John Harmer to the said George Harmer, by the deed aforesaid, is hereby declared not to be subject to the said act concerning escheats and forfeitures from British subjects. And the said George may, and George Har- he is hereby authorized and empowered to sue for and mer author- recover any estate either real or personal, to which the ised to reco- said John Harmer was entitled, in this commonwealth, tate and sub- in the same manner as he, the said John Harmer, ject to debts might or could have done were he now a citizen of of John Har- this commonwealth. And the said George Harmer

ver said es

mer.

shall be, and he is hereby made subject to be sued and proceeded against in law or equity for any debts or transactions of the said John Harmer, in this commonwealth, in the same manner as he, the said John Harmer, might or could be if he was now a citizen thereof,

[Ch. LIX in original.]

Town of Ste.

vensburg in Culpeper county.

CHAP. XIX.

An act to establish a town on the lands of William Bradley, in the county of Culpeper.

1. WHEREAS it hath been represented to this pre sent general assembly, that the laying off fifty acres of land whereon William Bradley now lives, in the county established. of Culpeper, in lots and streets for a town, will be of great utility:

II. Be it therefore enacted, That fifty acres of land, being part of a larger tract, the property of the said William Bradley, and whereon he lives, be, and the same is hereby vested in Burkett Davenport, John Wharton, Robert Slaughter, junior, Robert Pollard, Richard Waugh, James Duncanson, and French Strother, gentlemen, trustees, to be by them, or any four 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 Stevensburg: That so soon as the said fifty acres of land shall be so laid out into lots and streets, the said trustees, or any four 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 one month in the Virginia gazette: The purchasers to hold the said lots respectively subject to the condition of building thereon a dwelling-house sixteen feet square at least, to be finished fit for habitation within three years from the day of sale. And the said trustees, or any four of them shall, and they are hereby empowered to convey the said lots to the purchasers in fee simple, subject to the condition aforesaid, and to pay the money arising from the sale thereof to the said William Bradley, his executors, administrators or assigns. de

III. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That after the said lots and streets shall be laid out as aforesaid, such and so many of the lots whereon any house or houses already built by the said William Bradley may happen to be, shall not be sold by the said trustees, but shall be and remain to the said William Bradley, his heirs or assigns for ever.

IV. And be it further enacted, That the said trustees, or any four of them, shall have power, from time to time, to settle and determine all disputes concerning the bounds of the lots, and to settle and establish such rules and orders for the regular building of houses thereon, as to them shall seem best; and that in case of the death, removal out of the country, or other legal disability of any of the trustees before named, it shall be lawful for the surviving or remaining trustees to elect and choose so many other persons in the room of those dead or disabled as shall make up the number seven, which trustees so chosen, shall, to all intents and purposes, be vested with the same powers and authority as any other in this act particularly nominated and appointed.

V. And be it further enacted, That the purchasers of the lots in the said town, so soon as they shall have built upon and saved the same, according to the conditions of their respective deeds of conveyance, shall then be entitled to and have and enjoy all the rights, privileges and immunities which the freeholders and

inhabitants of other towns in this state, not incorporated, hold and enjoy. If the purchaser of any lot shall fail to build thereon within the time before limited, the said trustees, or any four of them, may thereupon enter into such lot and sell the same again, and apply the money for the benefit of the inhabitants of the said town,

[Ch. LX.

in original ]

[Chan. Rev. p. 159.]

So much of act of last session as discontinues

CHAP. XX.

An act to repeal so much of an act of the last session of assembly as discontinued Lynch's ferry.

I. WHEREAS it hath been represented, that the discontinuing of the ferry from the lands of John Lynch, in Bedford county, across the Fluvanna to the Lynch's fer opposite shore in the county of Amherst, has proved by repealed. inconvenient to the public: Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly, That so much of the act of assembly passed at the last session, intituled, "An act for establishing a new ferry," as discontinues the said ferry, shall be, and the same is hereby repealed.

CHAP. XXI.

[Ch. LXI. in original.]

An act to authorize the manumission [Chan, Rev.

of slaves.

p. 159.1

How slaves may be emancipated.

1. WHEREAS application hath been made to this Preamble. present general assembly, that those persons who are disposed to emancipate their slaves may be empowered so to do, and the same hath been judged expedient under certain restrictions: Be it therefore enacted, That it shall hereafter be lawful for any person, by his or her last will and testament, or by any other instrument in writing, under his or her hand and seal, attested and proved in the county court by two witnesses, or acknowledged by the party in the court of the county where he or she resides, to emancipate and set free, his or her slaves, or any of them, who shall thereupon be entirely and fully discharged from the performance of any contract entered into during servitude, and enjoy as full freedom as if they had been particularly named and freed by this act.

court.

II. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That Aged or inall slaves so set free, not being in the judgment of the firm to be court, of sound mind and body, or being above the supported by former age of forty-five years, or being males under the age master; of twenty-one, or females under the age of eighteen years, shall respectively be supported and maintained Or expence by the person so liberating them, or by his or her es- levied on tate; and upon neglect or refusal so to do, the court of by order of the county where such neglect or refusal may be, is hereby empowered and required, upon application to them made, to order the sheriff to distrain and sell so much of the person's estate as shall be sufficient for that purpose. Provided also, That every person by writ- Copy of in ten instrument in his life time, or if by last will and strument of testament, the executors of every person freeing any tion to be emancipaslave, shall cause to be delivered to him or her, a copy delivered to of the instrument of emancipation, attested by the clerk the slave. of the court of the county, who shall be paid therefor, by the person emancipating, five shillings, to be collected in the manner of other clerk's fees. Every person neglecting or refusing to deliver to any slave by him or her set free, such copy, shall forfeit and pay

Penalty for neglect on

the master;