II. BE it therefore enacted, by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council and Burgesses of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That the justices of the said county shall, and may, and are hereby impowered and required, within six months after the passing of this act, to survey and lay out, by metes and bounds, two acres, parcel of the lands of the said Elizabeth Exum, whereon the said buildings are erected, to and for the use of the said county; which said bounds shall be recorded in the records of the same, and the marks thereof renewed from time to time, as occasion may require; and after the same shall be surveyed and laid out as aforesaid, the said court shall and may order two freeholders, of their said county, to view the said two acres of land, and make a report, under their hands and seals, to the next court to be held for the same, of the true value thereof; which report the said court shall order to be recorded, and at the charge of the said county, pay down the valuation money to the said committee of the said lunatic, for her use; and from and immediately thereafter, the said justices, and their successors, shall stand seized and possessed of the said two acres of land, to and for the use of the said county, of and in the same, estate, and to the same uses, intents and purposes, as if the same had been by them purchased, pursuant to the direction and authority of the aforesaid act, and to and for no other use, intent, or purpose, whatsoever.

Title of

CHAP. XXXVI.

An Act to confirm the title of lands purchased of the Nottoway Indians, and for other purposes. therein mentioned.

I. WHEREAS by an act of Assembly, made in the first year of his present majesty's reign, intituled, An act to enable the Nottoway Indians to sell certain lands therein mentioned, and for discharging the Infirmed. dian interpreter; the chief men of the said Indians, by

lands purchased of Nottoway Indians con

and with the consent of John Simmons, of the county of Isle of Wight, Thomas Cock, and Benjamin Edwards, of the county of Surry, gentlemen, trustees, were impowered and authorised to make sale of all, or any part of thier circular tract of land, of six miles diameter, situate on the north side of Nottoway river, in that part of the county of Isle of Wight, which is Southampton, and after any agreement made for the sale of any part of the said land, so that such part should not exceed four hundred acres to any one person, it should be lawful for the said chief men, together with the said trustees, the survivors or survivor of them, to seal and deliver a deed of feoffment, and to make livery of seisin upon the land, to be indorsed upon such deed, to the purchaser, who immediately after the execution thereof, should pay down to the said chief men, the purchase money, for which a receipt should likewise be indorsed on the deed; and that any feoffment so executed and acknowledged, or proved by the oaths of three witnesses, and recorded in the court of the said county of Isle of Wight, should be sufficient, in law, to pass the fee simple estate of such lands, to the purchaser or purchasers thereof: And whereas the chief men of the said Indians, did sell the said tract of land, but before deeds for the same were execated, pursuant to the directions of the said act, the said trustees died, by reason whereof the titles of the purchasers of the said land are defective, and disputes are likely to arise between the said Indians, and the said purchasers; for prevention whereof, and that the said purchasers may have a legai title to the said land:

II. BE it enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the chief men of the said Nottoway Indians be, and they are hereby impowered, by and with the consent of Etheldred Taylor, Thomas Jarrell, Robert Jones, the younger, and Joseph Gray, gentlemen, who are hereby appointed trustees, or the survivors or survivor of them, to seal and deliver a deed or deeds, indented to any person or persons who have purchased any part of the said land, according to the directions of the said act; and such deed or deeds, being acknowledged, or proved, by the oaths of three witnesses, in the general court, or the county court of Southampton, and recorded, shall be as effectual in law, to

1

pass the fee simple estate of such lands, to the purchaser or purchasers thereof, as if the same had been made and executed, by and with the consent of the said John Simmons, Thomas Cock, and Benjamin Edwards; any thing in the said act contained, to the contrary thereof in any wise, notwithstanding.

III. And whereas many evil disposed persons, under pretence of the said Indians being indebted to them, do frequently disposses them of their guns, blankets, and other apparel, to their great impoverishment, for prevention whereof, Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any person or persons shall hereafter, under any pretence whatsoever, take from any of the said Indians their guns, blankets, or other apparel, such person or persons so offending, shall forfeit and pay to the Indian or Indians so injured, the sum of twenty shillings current money, for every such offence, to be recovered before any justice of the peace of the said county of Southampton; and if the offender be a slave, he shall, for such offence, receive, on his or her bare back, twenty five lashes well laid on, by order of such justice; and if any free person or persons shall trade or deal with the said Indians, for their guns, blankets, or other apparel, the person or persons so trading or dealing with such Indian, shall forfeit and pay the like sum of twenty shillings, for every such offence, to be recovered as aforesaid, and if such offender be a slave, he shall, for such offence, receive, on his or her bare back, twenty five lashes.

IV. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That the several penalties before mentioned shall be paid to the trustees aforesaid, and by them laid out in common necessaries of life, for the Indian to whose use the same shall be recovered.

Fairs, in
Alexandria

CHAP. XXXVII.

An Act for allowing Fairs to be kept in the
Town of Alexandria.

I. WHEREAS allowing fairs to be kept in the authorised. town of Alexandria, in the county of Fairfax, will be

be

very commodious to the inhabitants of those parts of Virginia, and greatly increase the trade of that town: II. BE it therefore enacted by the Lieutenant Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That for the future two fairs shall and may annually kept, and held, in the said town of Alexandria, on the last Thursday in May, and the last Thursday in October each, to continue for the space of two days, for the sale and vending of all manner of cattle, victuals, provisions, goods, wares, and merchandizes, whatsoever; on which fair days, and on two days next before, and two days next after each of the said fairs, all persons coming to, being at, or going from the same, together with their cattle, goods, wares and merchandizes, shall be exempt and privileged from all arrests. attachments, and executions whatsoever, except for capital offences, breaches of the peace, or for any controversies, suits, and quarrels, that may arise and happen during the said time, in which cases processes may be immediately issued, and proceedings thereupon had, in the same manner as if this act had never been made; and that this act shall commence immediately after the end of this session of Assembly, and continue and be in force for two years, and from thence to the end of the next session of Assembly, and no longer.

III. Provided always, That nothing herein contained, shall be construed, deemed, or taken, to derogate from alter, or infringe, the royal power and prerogative of his majesty, his heirs or successors, of granting to any person or persons, body corporate or politic, the privilege of holding fairs, or markets, in such manner as he or they, by his or their royal letters patent, or by his or their instructions, to the governor, or commander in chief of this dominion, for the time being, shall think fit.

Bridge over

CHAP. XXXVIII.

An Act for building a Bridge over Pagan
Creek; and for appointing several new
Ferries.

I. WHEREAS it hath been represented to this AsPagan creek, sembly, by divers of the inhabitants of the county of to be built. Isle of Wight and others, that it will be very advantageous and convenient to them to have a bridge built and maintained over the western branch of Pagan, creek, from the land of William Hodsden, in the said county of Isle of Wight, to the land of Richard Reynolds, in the said county, and they have prayed leave to build a bridge at the said place, over the said creek, and to maintain and keep the same in repair, by subscription;

II. BE it therefore enacted, ba the Lieutenant Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That for the better building, ordering, and keeping in repair the said bridge, over Pagan creek, at the place aforesaid, it shall be in the power of Robert Burwell, esq. Arthur Smith, Lawrence Baker, Joseph Bridger, James Baker, William Hodsden, James Dunlop, James Arthur, and Andrew Mackie, gentlemen, of the county aforesaid, who are hereby nominated trustees, for putting so much of this act in execution as relates to the bridge aforesaid, or any five or more of them, to receive subscriptions, and the money subscribed, for every person and persons who shall be willing to. make such subscriptions, and to apply the same towards building a bridge at the place aforesaid, and keeping the same in repair, and to design, direct, and agree with workmen for building the said bridge, so that the same be not less than twelve feet in breadth, and railed on each side three feet high, with one arch at least twenty feet wide, sufficiently high for the passage of boats and flats.

III. And for continuing the succession of the trustees for the said bridge, Be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful to and for the said trustees, herein before mentioned, or any five or more of them, from time to time, and