ters, which were in force at the passing of the said act, and which have been precluded from revival by entries or surveys regularly made for the same lands since the passing of the said. act, shall stand revived and re-established, and the rights accruing thereon be vested in the persons then owning the same, their heirs or other representatives: And that the said orders of council or entries in the council-books shall stand on the footing of entries in the surveyors books, and as such be considered to every intent and purpose, save only that where they exceed the quantity of four hundred acres, they shall be good for their whole quantity, so far as they would have been good by authority of the said orders of council or entries in the council-books before the passing of the said act. notwithstan IX. And whereas many persons have obtained cer- Patents to is tificates for surveys of lands and returned the same to sue as usual the land-office, and patents cannot issue for the same ding the act until six months after opening the courts of justice, of May 1781, whereby a great proportion of landed property will be ch. 9. covered from taxation, and an unjust inequality in the public burdens upon the good people of this commonwealth be produced: For remedy whereof, Be it enacted, That patents shall issue agreeable to all certificates for surveys of land at the times respectively and in the manner practised under the laws preceding the act of the last session entitled, "An act preventing a discontinuance of the general court, and suspending the proceedings of certain courts in particular cases," the said act notwithstanding. And the register of the land-office shall deduct out of the calculation of time for which patents have been usually detained, five months and no more for the late occlusion of the courts, and patents clusion of the shall forthwith issue in all cases in the usual manner, courts. the said recited act notwithstanding. allow five Register to months for the late oc rants for mi X. And be it farther enacted, That it shall not be Not necessa necessary to exchange warrants for military service y to experformed last war, but that all locations made under change war. the same shall stand upon the saine footing as those litary ser made under treasury warrants, and the parties shall be vice last entitled to surveys and grauts in the same manner. war. sell certain CHAP. XXX. An act to enable Henry M'Cabe to dispose of certain lands. I. WHEREAS it is represented to this present geHenry neral assembly, that Henry M'Cabe, some time in the McCabe au- year one thousand seven hundred and eighty, departthorised to ed this life intestate, leaving several tracts of land in lands in Lou- the county of Loudoun, and a lot and houses in the doun & lots town of Alexandria, and a very small personal estate: That Henry M'Cabe, his only son in this country, has burg, for payment of administered upon and sold the personal estate, which the debts of is not sufficient to pay the debts, and no part of the said lands can be sold without the direction of the general assembly; and the said Henry M'Cabe having made application for that purpose, in Lunen his father Henry McCabe, dec'd. II. Be it therefore enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for the said Henry M'Cabe, to sell and dispose of, for the best price that can be had, a tract of land containing about two hundred and fifty acres, adjoining to the town of Leesburg, in the county of Loudoun, also the unimproved lots in the said town, and the tract of land near Kittocktin creek, of which his said father died seised, and to convey the same to the purchaser or purchasers in fee simple, accounting for the money arising from the sale of the said lands and lots in a legal course of administration. {CHAP. XXXI. An act for regulating tobacco fees, [Chan. Rev. and fixing the allowance tv sherifis, witnesses, and venire-men. p. 150.] 232€ 1. WHEREAS it has become necessary to alter the Valuation of mode for fixing the rate at which tobacco fees, sher- tobacco fees iffs, venire-men and witnesses attendance should be dis- by grand jury repealcharged in money; Be it therefore enacted, That so ed, much of the act of assembly entitled, “An act for regulating the fees of the register of the land-office, and for other purposes," as directs the grand jury at the October and June courts to fix such rate in paper currency, shall be, and the same is hereby repealed: And that from and after the passing of this act, all persons to be paid in who now are, or shall hereafter become chargeable money at 12s. 6d per hunwith any tobacco fees for services mentioned in the said dred. recited act, or in any other act now in force, shall discharge the same in transfer tobacco notes, or in specie, at the rate of twelve shillings and six pence for every hundred pounds of gross tobacco. Tobacco fees men and witnesses, and II. And be it farther enacted, That venire-men, wit- Allowances. nesses and sheriffs attending the general court in crim- to venire. inal cases, shall be entitled to receive for that particular service, from the treasury by warrant from the au- sheriffs, atditors, the sum of seven shillings and six pence in spe- tending the cie for every day's attendance, and four pence per mile general for travelling and their ferriages. court, in criminal ca VOL. X. M 3 ses. Poll-tax, payable in commodi. ties. CHAP. XXXII. An act for laying taxes in certain enumerated commodities. I. BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That for every free man above the age of twenty-one years, and for every slave above the age of sixteen years, except such as by the courts of the respective counties shall have been or may be discharged from the county levy on account of age or infirmity, a list of all which free persons and slaves shall be furnished to the commissioners hereafter directed by this act by the clerk of their county court, half a bushel of wheat, or one bushel of Indian corn, rye or barley, o. five pecks of oats, shall be delivered by him or her, or by his or her parent or guardian, being an infant, or by the owner of any slave or slaves, or by the parent or guardian of such owner, being an infant, to the commissioners appointed to carTax in ba. ry this act into execution. con, for each II. And be it farther enacted, That there shall be free person. delivered to the commissioners aforesaid, two pounds. of good sound bacon for each free person above the age of twenty-one years, and for each slave above the age of sixteen years, to be paid by the said persons, or their parents or guardians as aforesaid. Commissioners to re ceive taxes, how appointed. III. And for carrying this act into execution, Be it enacted, That the court of each county within this commonwealth, shall, as soon as possible after the publication of this act, appoint two good and discreet men of their county, being freeholders, or in large counties at the discretion of the said court, three persons as commissioners to receive such wheat and bacon, or commodities enumerated as aforesaid, which commissioners shall have power to fix on so many places (not exceeding three) in the said county, as to them shall seem convenient, for the receipt and delivery of the said commodities, having regard as well to the convenience of the people as to the purposes of safe storing, manufacturing, and removal to the public magazines any of the Penalty on same. commissioners refusing to act. IV. And be it enacted, That if any person or persons appointed to act as commissioners aforesaid shall refuse to serve in the said office, or to give bond to the Bonds to be taken of commission. ers. V. And be it farther enacted, That the court of each county shall take bond, payable to the governor of this state for the time being, in the penalty of five hundred pounds, of each commissioner so appointed, for his faithfully discharging the duties of his said office, an attested copy of which shall be transmitted by the clerk of the said court to the executive within thirty days after the execution of such bond; the said commissioners Places of deshall notify by advertisements at the most public pla- posit, how ces within the county, the place or places appointed notified. by them for the delivery of the aforesaid commodities, and shall have power to procure store-houses for the reception of the same, and to employ or contract with millers for manufacturing the said grain, and in general to take all lawful and proper means for the safekeeping or removal of the said commodities when thereunto required by the commissioner of the war-office, or other lawful authority, and to pay the rent of the Storage, how said store-houses and other expences attending the col- procured. lection or transportation of the said commodities, either with part of the same, or by selling so much thereof for cash as may be sufficient for that purpose. Commodi ney, at what rates. VI. And be it farther enacted, That all persons chargeable with the above taxes may in their option ties, dischardischarge the same, or such part thereof as they may geable in mothink proper, by paying to either of the aforesaid commissioners for each bushel of wheat the sum of three shillings specie in Spanish milled dollars, at six shillings each, or in other gold or silver coin at a proportionable value, or six pence per pound in like money for each pound weight of bacon. And the said com Distress, missioners shall make out a correct list of all deficiencies on the first day of May, after which time it shall when and not be lawful for them to receive any of the commo- how to be dities or money as aforesaid, which list they shall de- made. liver to the sheriff of the county, who shall have power to distraia for the same, if not paid by the first day |