Jurisdiction of a single justice encreased, in a ratio with the depreciation of pa per money. CHAP. X. An act to extend the jurisdiction of ses. WHEREAS by an act of assembly passed in the year one thousand seven hundred and forty eight, establishing county courts, and directing the rules and proceedings therein, it is enacted, that all causes under twenty five shillings or two hundred pounds of tobac co, are cognizable before a single justice of the peace. And whereas by the depreciation of the paper money, the power of a justice of the peace is in a measure done away, and creditors must be deprived of many of their just demands, or be compelled to institute suits in the courts of law, by which means the greater part of the debt will be expended in the prosecution for recovery thereof; Be it enacted, That a single justice of the peace may have cognizance and finally determine any cause whatsoever, where the sum shall not exceed two hundred pounds of tobacco or the value thereof in paper money, according to the depreciation or price of tobacco from time to time settled by the grand jury of the general court; and the said justice of the peace is hereby empowered to give judgment for any such sum as above mentioned, and may award execution for the same against the goods and chattels of the debtor or party against whom such judgment shall be given, which shall be executed and returned by the sheriff or constable to whom directed, in the same manner as in other cases of fieri facias are to be executed and returned, but no execution shall be by him granted against the body of the defendant. CHAP. XI. An act to amend the act for establishing a Land Office, and for ascertaining the terms and manner of granting waste and unappropriated lands. WHEREAS great inconveniencies attend the me- Duputy surthod of appointing deputy surveyors, as the laws here- veyors, how tofore have directed. For remedy whereof, Be it appointed. enacted by the General Assembly, That deputy survey- (See Oct. ors may and shall be appointed in manner following, 1783, c. 32.) that is to say. The principal surveyor of any county desiring to have one or more deputy, or deputies commissioned, shall recommend such person or persons as he may think properly qualified for the office to the court of the county of which he is surveyor. The court shall thereupon appoint and direct one or more fit persons to examine into the capacity, ability, and fitness of the person or persons recommended to execute such office; and upon a certificate of such examination, and report of the capacity, ability, and fitness of the person or persons so recommended, the said court are hereby empowered and directed to appoint him or them to act as deputy or deputies, for whose conduct in every respect touching his office, the principal surveyor shall be answerable. And all deputies so appointed, shall have power and authority to act and do in all things, and to every intent and purpose as deputy surveyors heretofore acted by law, 3 CHAP. XII. [Chan. Rev. An act to amend an act entitled An p. 132.] Preamble. act for adjusting and settling the titles of claimers to unpatented lands under the present and former government, previous to the establishment of the commonwealth's land office. 1. WHEREAS it is represented to this present gene ral assembly, that from the inclemency of the weather during the sitting of the commissioners appointed to adjust and settle the titles of claimers to unpatented lands, many witnesses were prevented from attending the said commissioners and the parties at whose instance they were summoned, lost the benefit of their testimony, and thereby failed to support their claims. Caveats al- For remedy whereof Be it enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for any person, his or her heirs or asgainst the judgment of signs, aggrieved or injured by the determination of the the commis. said commissioners, to enter a caveat against a grant lowed a sioners. 1 thereupon, until the matter shall be heard before the general court; and that any person or persons who may hereafter in like manner be aggrieved by the determination of any commissioners who shall sit for the purpose aforesaid, shall be entitled to the same mode of redress as above mentioned, and may petition the said court to have his or her claim considered, and upon its being proved that he or she laboured under such disability at the time of the meeting of the said commissioners thereupon; the court shall grant him or her a hearing in a summary way, and if it shall appear that the petitioners claim is just, the court may reverse the former determination and order a grant to issue for such land, or any part thereof, to the person to whom they shall adjudge the same, on the terms prescribed by an act entitled "An act for adjusting and settling the titles of claimers to unpatented lands under the present and former government, previous to the establishment of the commonwealth's land office." Further al tendants. II. And whereas the allowance made to commissioners who are appointed to carry into execution the lowance to abovementioned act, and to the surveyors, sheriffs, and commission. clerks attending the same, are now insufficient. For ers and atremedy whereof, Be it enacted, That each commissioner for every day he shall be necessarily employed in going to, attending on, and returning from the business of his office, shall receive thirty pounds; the surveyor twelve pounds; and the sheriff eight pounds, in lieu of the allowance formerly provided. III. And whereas the expense of carrying the said act into execution will be greatly increased, and it is Tax on litireasonable and just that the greatest part of such ex- gants raised. pense should be defrayed by the persons who are to be benefited by the same, Be it farther enacted, That for every hundred acres of land contained within the certificates to be granted by the commissioners, the party receiving the same shall pay five dollars to the commissioners, besides a fee of twenty shillings for each certificate to the clerk. CHAP. XIII. An act to amend an act entitled An act to amend the several acts of assembly respecting the inspection of tobacco. WHEREAS the allowance to inspectors hath been Salaries and found inadequate to their trouble; Be it therefore enact- allowances ed, That instead of the allowance heretofore made by tors of toof inspec. law to inspectors for inspecting tobacco, they shall be bacco enallowed and paid the following salaries, to commence creased. from the tenth day of October last past, that is to say, to each of the inspector's at Guilford's and Pungoteague under one inspection 3500, at Roy's 5000, at Kennon's 3000, at Bolling's point 6000, at Bollingbrooke 6000, at Cedar Point 6000, at Hobb's Hole 3000, at Bowler's 3000, at Layton's 3000, at Colches ter 4000, at Alexandria 4000, at the falls of Potowmack 3000, at Poropotank 3000, at Deacon's neck 3500, at Crutchfield's 5000, at Page's 5000, at Warwick 5000, at Rocky Ridge 7000, at Osborne's 6000, at John Bolling's 4500, at Byrd's 7000, at Shockoe's 7000, at Smithfield 3000, at Shepherd's 3000, at Mantapike and Frazer's under one inspection 3000, at Todd's and Aylett's under one inspection 4500, at Boyd's Hole 3500, at Falmouth 5000, at Dixon's 5000, at Gibson's 3000, at Davis's 3000, at north Wycomico and south Wycomico under one inspection 3000, at Indian creek 3000, at Deep creek 3000, at Urbanna 3000, at Milner's 3000, at South Quay 4000, at Cherrystone's and Hungar's under one inspection 2500, at Littlepage's 3000, at the Brick House 3000, at Coan's 3000, at Boyd's 6000, at Davis's in the town of Blandford 6000, at Blandford 6000, at Quantico 5500, at Dumfries 5500, at Cat Point 3000, at Totuskey 3500, at Cabin Point 4000, at Gray's creek 3500, at Aquia 3500, at Fredericksburg 5000, at Royston's 5000, at Denbeigh 2500, at Nomony 3000, at Leed's and Mattox under one inspection 4000, at Yocomico and Rust's under one inspection 4000, at the capital and college landings under one inspection 3000, at Roe's 2500 pounds of crop tobacco. And be it farther enacted, That there shall be paid to the inspectors at each of the said warehouses thirty four pounds of tobacco for every hogshead of tobacco by them inspected, in lieu of the former allowance, to be paid by the owner at the time of receiving and inspecting the same; and the inspectors at each warehouse shall in lieu of the allowance now by law given for storage, pay to the proprietor thereof six pounds of tobacco for each hogshead so received and inspected, and for all tobacco lying more than twelve months at the rate of twelve pounds of tobacco a year for each hogshead, to be paid by the shipper, there shall also be paid to the inspectors at each warehouse twenty five pounds of tobacco for every hogshead reprized, for reprizing and finding nails, to be paid by the proprietor, and twenty five pounds of tobacco for every hogshead prized up and exchanged for transfer notes and finding nails, to the use of the inspectors, in lieu of the tobacco directed to be paid for the said services by the act entitled "An act to amend the several acts |