Subscriptions

by commis. sioners, urder superin

of this act, shall be by them returned to the public treasury; and the treasurer shall enter the same in his books to their credit in trust, and for the use of the public, paying to the said commissioners the interest due or to become due thereon out of the funds appropriated for that purpose, in the same manner as he would do to individual possessors. All monies received by the said commissioners in virtue of this act, shall be by them paid into the hands of the directòrs of the public buildings, to be by them applied pursuant to the powers vested in them by the act," For the removal of the seat of government." And whereas the money arising from the sale of the land and other public property, as here* in before directed, may not be sufficient to complete the said public buildings, and the public finances will not admit of an immediate appropriation of a further sum of money in aid thereof, but the completion of the said public buildings may be greatly facilitated by pri...

vate contribution to

III. Be it further enacted, That the said commis to be opened sioners be empowered to open and receive subscriptions for that purpose, in such manner and to such amount as the directors of the public buildings shall tendence of deem proper; and that the monies thence arising be directors of paid by the said commissioners into the hands of the public buildings, to aid in said directors, and by then applied to the purposes be

the completion of the public build ings.

fore directed, and to none other. And the directors of the public buildings shall in like manner enter into bond with security, in a reasonable penalty, payable to the governor for the time being, conditioned for the faithful application of all monies by them received.

*

IV. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent Sales for cer- the said commissioners from granting a credit upon alltificates may be on credit. sales for certificates as aforesaid, until the thirty first day of December next; but upon all such sales the said commissioners shall take bond with approved security, and, in default of payment, are authorized to recover the amount thereof, with interest and costs, together with six per centum damages in specie, by judgment, upon motion in any court of record, giving ten days! previous notice of such motion; execution upon which judgment shall be issued for and discharged by the payment of the amount in certificates expressed in the condition of such bond, together with interest,® COSTS,

and the damages in specie, as aforesaid, and not otherwise.

V. And be it further enacted, That all sales which shall be made by virtue of this act for certificates, shall be by private or public sale, at the discretion of the commissioners, and before the first day of October

next.

CHAP. XXXI.

An act authorizing the delegates representing this state in congress, to subscribe and ratify an alteration of the eighth of the articles of confederation and perpetual union bethe thirteen states of Ameri

ca.

congress,

zed to sub

scribe and ratify an amend ment to the

I. FOR the purpose of introducing a more conve- Delegates in nient and certain rule of ascertaining the proportions from this to be supplied to the common treasury of the United state, authorStates, recommended by congress in their act of the eighteenth of April, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three; II. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That so 8th article of much of the eighth of the articles of confederation and the confede ration, by deperpetual union between the thirteen states of America, claring that as is contained in the words following, to wit: "All the contribucharges of war, and all other expences that shall be in- tions of the curred for the common defence or general welfare, and general treaallowed by the United States in congress assembled, sury, shall be shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall in the proportion of be supplied by the several states in proportion to the their free value of all land within each state, , granted to or sur- white popuveyed for any person, as such land and the buildings lation & three and improvements thereon shall be estimated, accord-fifths of their slaves, ining to such mode as the United States in congress as stead of the Vob. XH A 3

state, to the

value of their sembled, shall from time to time direct and appoint, lands and im shall be revoked and made void on the part of this provements,

7

commonwealth; and in place thereof, it is declared and concluded, the same having been agreed to in a congress of the United States, that all charges of war, and all other expences that have been or shall be incurred for the common defence or general welfare, and allowed by the United States in congress assembled, except so far as shall be otherwise provided for, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several states in proportion to the whole number of white and other free citizens and inhabitants, of every age, sex, and condition, including those bound to servitude for a term of years, and three-fifths of all other persons not comprehended in the foregoing description (except Indians not paying taxes) in each state; which number shall be triennially taken and transmitted to the United States in congress assembled, in such manner as they shall direct and appoint. And the delegates representing this state in congress, or any two of them, are hereby authorized and required to suberibe and ratify the said alteration of the articles of confederation and perpetual union; and the same when subscribed and ratified by the said delegates, and by the delegates of each of the other confederated states, duly authorized therefor, shall be valid and binding as to this commonwealth.

Preamble.

CHAP. XXXII.

An act to restrict foreign vessels to certain ports within this commonwealth.

I. WHEREAS the trade and commerce carried on between the citizens of this commonwealth and foreign merchants, would be placed upon a more equal foundation, and expedition and dispatch thereby the better promoted, if the vessels of foreign merchants trading

to this state should be restricted to certain ports and places within the same, in lading and unlading, and the revenue arising from commerce would also thereby be more certainly collected:

sels restrict

Duties pay

11. Be it therefore enacted, That the ships and other Foreign ves vessels trading to this commonwealth from foreigned to certain parts, which are the property of other than the citizens ports. of the same, shall enter, clear out, lade and unlade, at the following places, to wit: Norfolk and Portsmouth as one port, Bermuda Hundred, Tappahan- Ports desig nock, York Town, or Alexandria, and at no other nated. ports or places therein. And all ships and other vessels trading to this commonwealth, from foreign parts, owned by a citizen or citizens jointly with a foreigner or foreigners, shall also be restricted to enter, clear out, lade and unlade, at the said ports or places, and at none other. All duties payable upon tonnage, and upon goods, wares, and merchandize, imported into this state in such ships or other vessels, shall be paid able at those and accounted for by the master or owner thereof, to ports only. the naval-officer or collector at such of the aforesaid ports or places where such ship or other vessel shall enter and break bulk. And if the master or owner of any such ship or other vessel shall enter, clear out, lade Penalty for or unlade, or break bulk at any port or place within lading or un. lading else. this commonwealth, other than those aforementioned, where. the master or owner of such ship or other vessel shall forfeit and pay double that duty on tonnage and the goods, wares, and merchandize, by him imported, which by law he would be compellable to pay at any of the aforesaid ports; which said double duties shall be paid by such master or owner, in forty-eight hours after his arrival at any other port or place; and for failure thereof, he shall be subject to the like penalty as by law the citizens of this commonwealth are now subject to in case of failure to pay the duties required from-them upon the importation of goods, wares, and merchandize; which said penalty shall be recovered and applied in like manner as the penalty from citizens in the case aforesaid is directed to be recovered and applied.

III. And whereas the navigating small country craft by slaves, the property of the owners of such craft, tends to discourage free white seamen, and to encrease

consist of

slaves.

the number of such free white seamen would produce public good: Se

Not more IV. Be it therefore enacted, That not more than than one one-third part of the persons employed in the navigathird of crew of river or tion of any bay or river craft, below the falls of the bay craft, to rivers, shall consist of slaves. And if the owner of any bay or river craft shall presume to put on board any such craft as navigators, more slaves than the proportion aforesaid, such owner shall forfeit and pay the sum of one hundred pounds for each offence, to be recovered by action of debt or information, in any court of record. This act shall commence and be in force from and after the tenth day of June, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six. And so much of all acts of assembly, as comes within the purview of this act, shall be repealed.

Suspension V. Provided nevertheless, That nothing contained of this act, in this act shall be so construed as to extend to the navigation of the rivers westward of the Allegany

mountains.

Vestry of An trim parish, in Halifax county, authorised to sell their

glebe & pur.

CHAP. XXXIII,

An act to empower the vestry of Antrim parish, in the county of Hulfax, to sell the glebe of the said parish, and to lay out the money in pur chasing a more convenient one.

1. WHEREAS it is represented to this present general assembly that the glebe lands in the parish of Antrim, in the county of Halifax, are for the most part worn out, and are inconveniently situated; that timber sufficient to keep up the necessary repairs cannot be chase another procured without great expence, and that it would be very advantageous to the inhabitants thereof in general if the vestry of the said parish were empowered to dispose of the said glebe, and to lay out the money arising

t