and on the slave travelling out of

his county.

Liberated

ting to pay

ten pounds, to be recovered with costs in any court of record, one half thereof to the person suing for the same, and the other to the person to whom such copy ought to have been delivered. It shall be lawful for

any justice of the peace to commit to the gaol of his county, any emancipated slave travelling out of the county of his or her residence without a copy of the instrument of his or her emancipation, there to remain till such copy is produced and the gaoler's fees paid. III. And be it further enacted, That in case any slave slave neglec- so liberated shall neglect in any year to pay all taxes and levies imposed or to be imposed by law, the court of the county shall order the sheriff to hire out him or her for so long time as will raise the said taxes and levies. Provided sufficient distress cannot be made upon his or her estate. Saving nevertheless to all and every person and persons, bodies politic or corporate, and their heirs and successors, other than the person or persons claiming under those so emancipating their slaves, all such right and title as they or any of them could or might claim if this act had never been made.

levies and taxes to be hired out to

raise them.

Saving the titles of all but the person emanci⚫ pating.

[Ch. LXII in original.]

Continued by May 1783 ch. 4.

Preamble.

Census of people of

common

taken.

CHAP. XXII.

An act to ascertain the number of people within this commonwealth.

1. WHEREAS congress have recommended it to the several states to ascertain the number of people therein;

II. Be it therefore enacted, That the court of each county within this commonwealth shall divide the same wealth, how into convenient precincts, and on or before the first day of October next appoint one of the justices for each precinct to take a list of the number of people, both white and black, therein: Every justice so appointed shall give public notice at what place or places he intends to receive the lists, by advertising the same at the most public places within his precinct, and shall, on or before the twentieth of October next following,

deliver to the clerk of the county court a fair list of the number of white and black persons in each family within his precinct, stating the number of whites and blacks separately; from which lists so delivered in, the clerk shall make out a fair copy, and deliver the same to the governor in council, on or before the tenth day of December; and the said clerk shall be allowed for his services herein, such a sum of money as the court of the said county shall think reasonable, to be levied in their next county levy. Every master or owner of a family, or in his or her absence or non-residence at the plantation, his or her agent, attorney or overseer, neglecting or failing to deliver or cause to be delivered to the justice appointed for that precinct, a list of the number of the white and the number of black persons abiding in or belonging to his or her family, before the said twentieth day of October, shall forfeit and pay one thousand pounds of tobacco, to be recovered with costs by information in the court of the county where such neglect or failure may be, and applied towards lessening the county levy. Every justice or clerk of a court refusing or failing to perform the duties respectively required of him by this act, shall forfeit and pay five thousand pounds of tobacco, to be recovered and applied in like manner as is herein before directed in the case of other forfeitures.

[Chap LXIII in original.]

[Chan. Rev.

p. 160.]

See Oct. 1782, c. 34.

of Chesapeake bay.

raised and

missioners.

CHAP. XXIII.

An act for defending and protecting the trade of Chesapeake bay..

I. FOR defending and protecting the trade and commerce of Chesapeake bay and its dependencies, in the most effectual manner possible under our present circumstances, Be it enacted by the General Assembly, Vessels to be and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, provided for That the ship Cormorant and the boat Liberty be improtection mediately and forthwith fitted out and prepared for that purpose: That two row-gallies and two barges or whale-boats, upon such construction and so equipped as may render them most proper for the purpose aforesaid, be forthwith built or purchased at the public exMoney to be pence. In order to defray the expence of purchasing, building or equipping the said vessels, the ship Loyalpaid to com- ist, with her appurtenances, shall be sold in such manner and upon such conditions as may be judged best by the commissioners herein after mentioned, and the money arising from such sale shall, by the said com-, missioners, be applied in such manner as they shall think best towards procuring, equipping and manning Tonnage & the said vessels. There shall also be paid into the import duhands of the said commissioners the sum of one thousand pounds, by the commercial agent, out of the public monies in his hands; and the revenue arising from the duties imposed upon imports and tonnage by an act intituled, "An act for ascertaining certain taxes and duties and for establishing a permanent revenue," shall be, and the same are hereby set apart and appropriated for the purpose of defending and protecting the trade and commerce of Chesapeake bay and its dependencies; and the treasurer shall, from time to time, pay to the said commissioners or their order, the auditors. having duly authorized the same, the money he may receive for such duties, and to no other purpose whatsoever; and the naval officers, instead of accounting for and paying to the treasurer the duties received by them under the said recited act once in six months, shall, and they are hereby directed to account for and pay the monies received by them for the duties aforesaid once every three months, or oftener if it may be con

ties appro priated.

venient. There shall be appointed by the general as- Commissionsembly three commissioners to superintend and pro- ers how to vide for the defence and protection of our bay trade, ed. who shall be, and the are hereby vested with full powers to employ all ar every sum or sums of money hereby set apart fo that purpose, towards the defence and protection ofour trade and commerce in the Chesapeake bay. They shall be under the direction of the To be under executive of 1s, cominonwealth from time to time, of the exe

.S

the direction

land, mea

between the

and under the inspection of the said executive shall, cutive. from time totime, correspond with the executive of the state of Maryland, or other persons by the said state to be app-inted, and concert, together with the state And concert of Maryand, such measures for the co-operation of the with Marymarine force of each state as may be most likely to sures for derende effectual protection to the trade and the citizens fending the of each state on the shores of Chesapeake bay and its bay trade. depennencies and also consult about such other future operations may be most likely to effect this desirable end, e plan of which future operations shall, through he hands of his excellency the governor, by the sai commissioners be laid before the next succeedembly for their approbation. The said com- Power to ading a mshers shall have full power on the part of this com- just disputes wealth, to settle and adjust all disputes that may offers of ase between the officers of the two states relative to the two ommand or otherwise, and to direct and controul the states. procuring, building and equipping the said vessels in such manner as they shall judge most advantageous to the said service: Provided, That they shall in no in- Vessels nou stance order the said vessels upon any duty without the to be sent capes of Virginia And in order to man effectually out of the the said vessels when equipped, the said commissioners may, and they are hereby authorized and directed to take such methods as they may have in their power and which the means hereby furnished them may enable them, towards accomplishing the same. They shall allow such pay, subsistence and other necessaries to the seamen enlisted on board such ships, as may be consistent with the distressed state of our finances at present, and as is consistent with the general service hereby required. Such officers shall be appointed to command the said vessels as are at present in the navy service of this state, according to their rank or such other circumstances as the said commissioners shall

capes.

divided a mong the captors.

sion how to

my

Prizes to be judge entitles them to such command. And as an encouragement to seamen or marines on board such vessels, any prizes or booty taken by them from the eneshall be divided among the captors in such proporVacancies in tion as regulated in like cases by ongress. In case the commis- of the death, resignation or refusal to act of any one er more of the said commissioners, his &cellency the governor, with the advice of the privy concil, may, and he is hereby authorized to appoint such other person or persons to fill such vacancy as he, wis the advice aforesaid, may think proper to execute the duties required by this act, until the meeting of the ucceeding general assembly.

be filled.

[Ch. LXIV, in original.]

Corporation of Alexandria autho

rised to im

pose a whar fage tax.

Water street and Union

street to be extended.

CHAP. XXIV.

An act to empower the mayor, recri- . er, aldermen and common count of the town of Alexandria to lay wharfage tax, and to extend water and Union-streets.

I. BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That the mayor, recorder, aldermen and common council of the town of Alexandria shall, and they are hereby cmpowered to impose a tax upon all vessels making use of the wharf belonging to the said town, (open vessels excepted) and to enforce the collection and payment thereof by such rules and regulations as they may think best, and to apply the money arising from the said tax to the use and benefit of the said town.

II. And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for the mayor, recorder, aldermen and common council of the said town, and they are hereby required to open and extend water-street through the said town from north to south as far as the limits of the said town extend, and also to lay off Union-street from north to south as far as the limits of the said town ex