and driver and found by the public, eleven shillings per day; bacon, nine pence per pound; fresh pork, three pence per pound; pickled pork, six pence per pound; grass beef, three pence per pound; stalled beef, four pence per pound; pickled beef, four pence halfpenny per pound; dryed beef, six pence per pound; mutton, four pence half-penny per pound; for dieting a soldier, one shilling and six-pence per day; WestIndia rum, ten shillings per gallon; taffia, or continen tal rum, eight shillings per gallon; brandy, eight shillings per gallon; whiskey, four shillings per gallon; horse-hire, two shillings and six-pence per day; rye, three shillings per bushel; corn-meal bolted or sifted, two shillings and six-pence per bushel; corn-meal bolted or sifted, six shillings per hundred weight; cornmeal not bolted, two shillings per bushel; corn-meal not bolted, five shillings per hundred weight; Indian` pease, three shillings per bushel; lambs, ten shillings each; ferriages on public account, one half of what is allowed by law; biscuit, fifteen shillings per hundred weight; rice, three pence per pound; cyder and vinegar, one shilling per gallon; flour barrels, two shillings and six pence each; corn-tops in the stack, one shilling and three pence per foot; butter, one shilling per pound; horse-shoes, one shilling and six pence each; bran, seven pence half-penny per bushel; common labourers, two shillings per day; tradesmen or watermen, five shillings per day; rope, one shilling and six pence per pound; and stablage, four pence for twenty-four hours. And where any other articles besides those above enu- › merated shall be included in the returns made by any of the courts of claims, the auditors of public accounts shall grant their warrant accordingly, except where they may have sufficient reason to think such valuations excessive, in which case the auditors may reduce the same. And the said auditors, in their proceedings, Auditors not shall have regard to the value of horses as allowed by tificates for the present general assembly in their several resolu damages 1. tions.

to issue cer

done to hou. III. And whereas there are large sums allowed by ses and plantations ex- the several county courts for damage done to houses cept where and plantations;

allowed a

gainst the U. States,

IV. Be it enacted, That the auditors of public accounts shall not issue any certificates for such allow

ances, unless it shall be made appear that the same were allowed in the settlement of the accounts of this state with the United States.

CHAP. XLVII.

An act for providing more effectual funds for the redemption of certifi*cates granted the officers and sol **diers raised by this state.

[Chapter LXXXVII. in original.]

Chan. Rev.

p.186.]

I. WHEREAS by an act of the last session of as- gamble. sembly certain certificates were directed to be granted the officers and soldiers raised by this state, for depreciation and arrears of pay due them, which certificates, from the urgent necessity of the said officers and soldiers, and from the insufficiency of the funds provided for their redemption, have already depreciated in their value, and without the aid of the legislature, will not answer the equitable purpose for which they were intended: Be it therefore enacted, That all persons who Injunctions have obtained or may hereafter obtain injunctions in or pleas to chancery to stay the sale of any escheated or forfeited stay sale of estates, or have filed, or may hereafter file a plea of property to monstrans de droit, or traverse, shall be considered as beexpedited plaintiffs prosecuting against the commonwealth, in which the proof shall lie upon them; and the court of chancery or general court, as the case may be, shall, at their second sessions after any injunction obtained, or plea of monstrans de droit, or traverse filed, proceed to hear, try and determine the same, unless good cause for a continuance be shewn to the court, otherwise eve ry such injunction shall be considered as dissolved, or plea of monstrans de droit, or traverse set aside.

escheated

1. And be it further enacted, That upon any infor- Fraudulent mation being given to an escheator, that any British conveyances by British subject, or other person absent, or his or their attorney, subjects, on his or their behalf, hath made a fraudulent or ficti

tious conveyance of the estate of such British subject or absentee, since the nineteenth day of April, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, such escheator shall, and he is hereby empowered and required to summon, as well the trustee, or person to whom such estate may have been conveyed, as also such other persons as can give evidence thereon, to appear before a jury of inquest, and if the said jury upon examination of the witnesses, the oath of the party, or other sufficient evidence, shall find that such British subject or absentee, hath any present or future interest in the said estate, such interest shall be forfeited to the commonwealth for the purposes aforesaid:

Payment of III. And be it further enacted, That so much of the British debts act for sequestering British debts as authorizes the payinto the treasury revived ment thereof, be, and it is hereby revived and put in full force. And all persons indebted to British submay attach jects, and others, absentees as aforesaid, who shall annually in the month of May, pay into the public treasury, in specie, or in tobacco or hemp, at the prices to be fixed by the auditors, one tenth part or more of the debts they respectively owe to such British subjects or absentees, shall be so far exonerated from the same: Saving, however, to any bona fide creditors of such British subjects or absentees, the right which by law they may have to attach such debts in the general court or court of any county where such debtor or debtors to any British subject or absentee resides. And the treasurer is hereby directed to sell at public auction, as soon as may be, for specie or the said certificates, all such tobaccoes or hemp, and the money arising therefrom, as also all sums as may be paid into the 2 treasury by the said debtors, shall, in the month of June in every year, be applied to the discharge of the interest due upon the said certificates, which said interest shall be computed to commence on the first day of January last. And should it so happen, that after the payment of the interest as aforesaid, there shall be remaining in the treasury, on the first day of July for two years next to come, any menies arising from the funds appropriated for payment of the interest and redemption of the said certificates, the same shall be paid to the holders thereof in equal proportion.

V. And whereas the documents required by the auditors of public accounts as legal vouchers for the settlement of the pay accounts of the officers and soldiers, who have served in the northern or southern armies, officers and or in the county of Ilinois, can never be produced, soldiers to owing to the deaths of many individuals, and the una- pass their ac voidable separation and other accidents which the e- counts on vents of war have occasioned: Be it therefore enacted, That the said officers who have served for any term not less than one year prior to the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one, shall be admitted to settle their pay accounts with the public auditors upon oath: And any soldier producing the discharge of his captain or commanding officer, shall be entitled to the arrears of cloathing and his pay for the time expressed in the discharge, or in case of such time not being ascertained, then shall be entitled to his pay for the term. of his enlistment. And the like certificates for the balances, if any shall appear to be due, shall be thereupon granted by the auditors to the said officers and soldiers.

VI. Provided always, and it is hereby further enacted, That the more effectually to guard against the de- Guard a gainst furpreciation of the said certificates, the auditors of pub- ther depre. lic accounts shall, for the present, isstie certificates for ciation." the one third part only of the several balances which may appear due to the respective officers and soldiers, and the remainder at such times and in such proportions as hereafter may, to the governor in council, appear fit, upon the application of any three or more of the general and field officers heretofore appointed by the said officers to act for them in this behalf.

VII. And whereas it is necessary that the number officers and of claims to any part of the lands appropriated for the soldiers to benefit of the said officers and soldiers should be speed- give in their land claims, ily ascertained; Be it therefore enacted, That all persons having claims as aforesaid be required, and they are hereby directed, to transmit authenticated vouchers of the same to the war-office on or before the first day of January next; and if any person having such claim shall be without the state, he shall transmit the same on or before the first day of June next following.

VIII. And be it further enacted, That the register of the land-office be, and he is hereby empowered and required to grant to the said officers and soldiers, war

How their

land war. rants are to

be obtained,

years, sel

rice, “

rants for the lands allotted them, upon producing to the register a certificate of their claims respectively from the commissioner of war, and no otherwise. Bounty in IX. And be it further enacted, That any officer or laud for soldier who hath not been cashiered or superseded, and who hath served the term of three years succéssively, shall have an absolute and unconditional title Addition for to his respective apportionment of the land appropriated as aforesaid. And for every year which every officer or soldier may have continued, or shall hereafter continue in service beyond the term of six years, to be computed from the time he last went into service, he shall be entitled to one sixth part in addition to the quantity of the land apportioned to his rank respectively.

six years ser

vice.

bounds.

No locations X. Provided always, and it is hereby enacted, That within their no surveyor shall be permitted to receive any location tipon any warrant for lands within the county reserved for the officers and soldiers, until the apportionment and draught for the same, as directed by the act intituled, "An act to adjust and regulate the pay and accounts of the officers and soldiers of the Virginia line + on continental establishment, and also of the officers, soldiers, sailors aud marines in the service of this state, and for other purposes."

Their certi

XI. And be it further enacted, That the said offi ficates to be cers and soldiers certificates shall be received in lieu received for of any fees or other monies which may be hereafter due publicpatent to the public for patents for the lands assigned to the said officers and soldiers by law.

fees.

Certain offi. cers includ. ed in pay & bounty.

XII. And be it further enacted, That so many offi çers and soldiers in lieutenant-colonel Lee's legion, or any other corps, as are credited to the quota of troops required from this state and properly belonging to the same, as also all military staff officers appointed from, and acting in, the Virginia continental line, upon producing to the auditors a certificate in favor of any such officer or soldier from the commissioner of war, shall be allowed certificates for depreciation and arrears of pay, in like manner and upon the same terms as the other troops raised by this state. And the commissioner of war is hereby authorised and required to take the most effectual precautions which he may think proper, precisely to ascertain the claims of such staff officers.

2