empowered to settle and adjust all accounts with the several commandants, Indian agents, agents of trade, and other officers in the Ilinois department; and for their respective services, to make such reasonable al lowance as to him shall seem just.

Act for appointment, &c. of naval officers further contin

ued.

CHAP. XXXI.

An act for farther continuing and amending an act entitled An act for appointing naval officers and ascertaining their fees.

in

WHEREAS the act of assembly passed in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy six, entitled "An act for the appointment of naval officers and ascertaining their fees," which was continued by an act entitled "An act for continuing an act for appointing naval officers, and ascertaining their fees," will expire at the end of this present session of assembly, and it is expedient that the same should be farther continued Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly, That the act entitled "An act for appointing naval officers and ascertaining their fees," shall continue and be in force, from and after the expiration thereof, for two years, and from thence to the end of the next session of assembly. And the several naval officers shall deFees altered mand and receive the following fees, in lieu of those established by the last recited act, to wit: For entering or clearing any ship or vessel of one hundred tons and under, thirty dollars; for entering or clearing any ship or vessel of more than one hundred tons, seventy five dollars; for taking a bond, twelve dollars; for a permit, twelve dollars; for a bill of health, twelve dollars; for a bill of stores, twelve dollars; for a certificate, twelve dollars; for a register, and recording the same, fifty dollars; for a copy thereof, or making an indorsement thereupon, twenty five dollars; for a copy of a manifest, fifteen dollars; for a passport, in conformity

Bonds alter

to the twenty seventh article of the treaty of alliance
between his most Christian Majesty and the United
States of America, fifty dollars; all which fees shall be
paid in current money of this commonwealth. The
bonds to be taken by the several naval officers on ed.
granting permits instead of those directed by the said
first recited act, shall be as follows, to wit: If the ship
or vessel be of one hundred tons burthen or under, the
bonds shall be for fifty thousand pounds current mo-
ney; if upwards of one hundred tons burthen, the bond
shall be for one hundred thousand pounds of like mo-
ney; and the bonds to be taken from all masters of
ships and vessels for prevention of the dangerous con-
sequences that may arise from the breach and contempt
of embargoes instead of those directed to be taken by
the said first recited act, shall be as followeth, to wit:
If the ship or vessel be of one hundred tons or under,
the bond shall be for twenty thousand pounds current
money; if above one hundred, and not exceeding two
hundred tons, the bond shall be for forty thousand
pounds; and if above two hundred tons, the bond shall
be for one hundred thousand pounds; all which said
bonds shall be forfeitable, and the penalties thereof
sued for, and recovered in the same manner, and to
the same uses as those directed to be taken by the said
first recited act. And be it farther enacted, That all
other bonds to be taken by the several naval officers in
virtue of such office, and all penalties to be incurred
by the respective naval officers, for neglect or breach
of duty, shall be forty times as much as those directed
to be taken or incurred by the said first recited act, to
be also sued for and recovered in the same manner, and
to the same uses as those directed to be taken and in-
incurred by the said recited act: And be it farther
enacted, That the master or commander of every ship
or vessel shall, within forty eight hours after his arri
val in any port, make report of, and enter his vessel
and cargo with the naval officer of the district wherein
the said vessel rides; and every master or commander
of any ship or vessel failing herein, shall forfeit his said
vessel and cargo; and any master or commander of
any ship or vessel, breaking bulk, or disposing of any
part of the cargo without obtaining a permit from the
naval officer to trade within the said district, shall for-
VOL. X.
02

feit his said vessel and cargo; to be seized in either of the above cases, by such officer or his deputy, and prosecuted in the court of admiralty, one moiety whereof shall be to the use of the informer, and the other moiety to the use of the commonwealth.

Act empow-,

nour and council to

lay embar

continued.

CHAP. XXXII.

An act for farther continuing an act entitled An act to empower the go. vernour and council to lay an embargo for a limited time.

WHEREAS the act of assembly passed in the year. ering gover- one thousand seven hundred and seventy eight, entitled "An act to empower the governour and council to lay an embargo for a limited time," which was continued goes further by several subsequent acts, will expire at the end of this present session of assembly; and it is expedient that the same should be farther continued, Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly, That the act entitled "An act to empower the governour and council to lay an embargo for a limited time," shall continue and be in force from and after the expiration thereof, until the end of the next session of assembly, and no longer.

CHAP. XXXIII.

An act to authorize the citizens of South Carolina and Georgia to remove their slaves into this state.

thorised to

WHEREAS many of the good and faithful citizens Citizens of of Georgia and South Carolina, have been, and may South Carobe compelled by the common enemy to fly their coun- lina and try, and seek shelter and protection in this common- Georgia auwealth, but are prevented bringing their slaves hither remove their by an act of assembly entitled "An act for preventing slaves into the farther importation of slaves," and it is incumbent this state. upon the good people of Virginia to afford all possible relief to such our brethren in their present distressed situation; Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly, That it shall and may be lawful (the said recited act notwithstanding) for any citizen of either of the said states, who hath been or shall be expelled there from by the enemy, to remove, or cause to be removed, his or her slaves into this commonwealth, and to continue such slaves, as well as the slaves which under the like circumstances have been removed hither since the twentieth day of May last, and their increase within this commonwealth, until one year next after the expulsion of the enemy from, or the restoration of civil government in the state from which such slaves were respectively removed, and no longer. And all and every such slave or slaves, or any of their increase, How long to which shall be suffered to remain here after the expira- under what tion of the said term of one year, to be computed as circumstanaforesaid, shall become free; except only such of the ces they may said slaves as may be sold by the owner for his or her be sold. necessary support and maintenance, in manner hereafter directed: Provided always, That every person removing any slave or slaves from either of the said states, and desiring to take the benefit of this act, shall deliver to the clerk of the first county within this commonwealth into which any such slave or slaves shall be brought, within one month after their arrival therein, an exact list or schedule of each and every slave so removed, distinguishing the name, sex, and as near as may be the age of such slaves respectively, and the

remain, and

state from whence they were removed; and such persons as have already removed any such slave or slaves into this commonwealth since the twentieth day of May last, shall within one month after the passing of this act, deliver to the clerk of the county into which such slave or slaves were first brought, a list or schedule as aforesaid; which in either case, such clerk is hereby required to enter of record, giving to the person a certificate thereof, upon his or her paying down the fee of one dollar for each slave, and also to transmit to the clerk of the council within one month thereafter, an attested copy of such list or schedule. And to give farther relief to the suffering citizens of the said states; Be it enacted, That all and every slave or slaves removed into this state under the regulations of this act, shall be exempted from any assessment or tax, for the space of one year from the date of their having been registered in the clerk's office as aforesaid: And be it farther enacted, That the governour with the advice of the council, may from time to time, grant to any citizen of either of the said states, a permit in writing, › dispose of or sell, any or so many of such slaves as shall appear necessary for the comfortable support and maintenance of such citizen, and his or her family, causing all such permits to be entered by the clerk of the council, in a book to be kept for that purpose.