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widows,

such citizen shall be paid to him, in like manner as is directed in the case of squares of ground appropriated to the publick buildings by an act passed at this present session of assembly, entitled, "An act for the removal of the seat of government," and the value of the interest of any such British subject shall be disposed of hereafter as the price would have been by this act, had they been exposed to publick sale, and the property in such lots shall be vested in the commonwealth; provided that the estates real and personal Provision for of such British subjects who have wives, widows, or wives, and children, residing within this state, shall be appropria- children. ted as follows: Such estates where there is a widow and no children, shall be subject to the widow's dower; where a wife and no child, to the like claim; but where a wife and child, or child and no wife, the whole of the estate belonging to such British subject shall be without the perview of this act. The residue of any estate not appropriated as hereby directed, shall be subject to the dispositions of this act.

CHAP. XV.

An act for more effectually supplying the officers, soldiers, and sailors of the commonwealth with the articles necessary for their comfortable accommodation.

WHEREAS the several acts of assembly heretofore Preamble. passed for supplying at certain prices, the troops of this commonwealth, with the necessary articles therein specified, have from fraud, neglect, or other causes, been rendered ineffectual; for remedy whereof, Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That the governour, Military a with the advice of the council may, and he is hereby gents, to be appointed, empowered and required to appoint an agent for the troops of this commonwealth in continental service, to attend and continue with the said troops for supplying Their duty them with such necessary articles as shall be furnished by virtue of this, or any other act of assembly, and re

and compen

sation.

to furnish

ceiving from them the money for which the same shall be sold; who shall be accountable to the board of trade for all goods or effects committed to his charge; shall give bond, with sufficient security, in such penalty as shall be required by the governour and council, for the faithful execution of his office, and shall be entitled to receive a salary of fifteen hundred pounds per annum, and also allowed to draw such rations and forage as are, or may be allowed a major in the continental army. And be it farther enacted, That the Board of war board of war shall, and they are hereby required, from time to time, to make out schedules or lists of all such lists of arti- articles as, according to the said former acts of assemcommoda- bly, they shall judge necessary for the comfortable tion of army, accommodation of all the officers, soldiers, and sailors, of this commonwealth, either on the continental or state establishment, distinguishing the articles or portion thereof allotted to the troops in the different departments, or at the different posts, and deliver copies to the board of trade, who, having previously laid the requisition before the governour and council, shall, and they are hereby required, as soon as possible, to Board of cause the same to be purchased or procured, and so trade to pro- soon as any, or the whole of such articles shall have

cles for ac

cure such articles.

been procured, they shall, together with an invoice, and the prices at which they are to be sold, cause such of them as are intended for the officers, soldiers, or sailors, within this commonwealth, to be delivered to the respective agents appointed by the said board of trade for transacting the business of the state in that department, who shall give receipts and be accountable to the board of trade for the same, and shall retail and deliver them: at the said prices to the said officers, 'soldiers, and sailors, according to the direction of the How trans- board of war; and the said board of trade shall send mitted to forward, either by land or water, as they, with the board of war shall judge best, such portions of the said goods as shall be allotted to the troops at distant posts, whether within or without the commonwealth; and with every parcel of goods to be so forwarded, shall send some confidential person to deliver the same, together with an exact invoice, and the prices at which they are to be sold, either to the agent for this commonwealth in the continental army, or to the agent at the post to which they shall be respectively ordered, and as the

Army.

sent with

nature of the case may require, who shall take such agents receipt for the same, to be returned to, and lodged with the board of trade. And where any such Invoices and goods shall be delivered to the agent for this common- prices to be wealth in the continental army, a copy or duplicate of goods. the invoice and prices shall also be delivered to such of the brigadier generals of the Virginia line as shall be present, or to the next commanding officer of the brigades; and where any such goods shall be delivered to the agent in any other department, a copy or duplicate of the invoice and prices shall be delivered to the commanding officer at the post to which they are ordered.

The said agent in the continental army, as well as the agents in the other departments, shall once a year, and oftener if required, settle with the board of trade a fair account of all the goods respectively committed to their charge, and produce vouchers for their proper application and disposition, and their necessary disbursements therein, whereupon the said board may, and they are bereby required to certify the settlement of such accounts to the publick auditors; that the balance due thereon may be paid to, or received from the treasurer in the same manner as in other publick accounts. And if any such agent shall fail to make up his account within thirty days after the year shall be expired, or having rendered his account, shall neglect or refuse to pay to the treasurer the balance which shall be due from him thereon, it shall and may be lawful for the treasurer to give such defaulter ten days previous notice, and thereupon to have judgment entered in the general court for the whole penalty of his bond, and upon such judgment, to proceed to execu tion as in other cases for publick debts. All charges accruing from the execution of this act, shall be defrayed by the publick upon the like settlements and certificates from the board of trade to the auditors.

And that the board of war may be more regularly and fully informed of the wants of the officers and soldiers, they are hereby directed and required to correspond, from time to time, with the continental board of war, and the general or commanding officers at the several posts where the troops of this commonwealth may be stationed, concerning the clothing and other supplies necessary for their accommodation. All letVOL. X.

K

Accounta bility of a

gents.

Duty of board of war

in ascertaining wants of

army.

ters respecting such correspondence and regular reports of their proceedings from the said boards of war and trade, shall be laid before the governour and council, from time to time, for their advice and instruction therein.

CHAP. XVI.

[From Revi. An act for the annual appointment of

sed Bills of

1779, chap.

X. p. 9.]

congress, when and

to attend.

delegates to Congress.

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BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That at the Members of first session of every general assembly, there shall be chosen by joint ballot of both houses, seven persons to how elected. act as delegates for this commonwealth in genera! congress, from the first Monday in November next ensuing the said election for the term of one year. Four of the said delegates at the least shall be always Four always at congress during its sessions; the majority of those present shall give the vote of this commonwealth, provided there be present three at the least, otherwise they shall give no vote; if they shall not by agreement among themselves, to be stated in writing, otherwise settle the portions of the year during which each member shall attend, so as to keep up a constant attendance of four at the least, then they shall serve as follows, to wit: The first member in the nomination shall serve during the months of November, December, January, February, June, July, and August. The second, during the months of January, February, March, April, May, September, and October. The third, during the months of November, December, March, April, May, September, and October. The fourth, during the months of November, December, January, February, June, July, and August. The fifth, during the months of February, March, April, July, August, September, and October. The sixth, during the months of November, December, January, May, June, July and August. And the seventh, during the months How long of March. April, May, June, September, and October. No member shall be capable of being a delegate for

Times of attendance.

eligible.

How re.

moveable.

Wages.

more than three years in any term of six years, taking into account as well the past as future time. Any of the said delegates shall be subject to be removed at any time within the year, by the joint vote of both houses, and thereon, or in case of the death, resignation, or refusal to act, of any such delegate, they shall proceed to choose another to serve in his stead, and during his term, and each of the said delegates. shall receive from the treasurer the sum of forty dollars for every day he shall be at congress, or for attending the committee of the states, and a dollar for every mile travelling to, or returning from either, with his ferriages. If any person holding any office under Office, under the laws of this commonwealth, legislative, executive, state, not va or judiciary, be appointed a delegate to congress, such cated by appointment to office shall not thereby be vacated. The delegates to congress to be chosen during this present session of assembly, in lieu of those who have resigned, or shall resign, together with those remaining in office, shall be continued until the first Monday in November next, and shall be subject to the same rules of voting, and entitled to the same allowances as are before stated in case of the members to be annually chosen,

congress.

CHAP. XVII.

An act to amend an act, entitled An act for reviving several publick warehouses for the inspection of tobacco.

WHEREAS it has been represented that the act of Preambie general assembly now in force for regulating the publick warehouses for inspection of tobacco, is in many respects defective, and the allowances therein made to the proprietors of warehouses, inspectors, and others, are inadequate to their services; and that many and grievous exactions are made upon the people of this commonwealth, by persons attending at the warehouses; for remedy whereof, Be it enacted by the General

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