CHAP. XXII. [Chan. Rev. An act to amend the act entitled an p. 142.] 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. Allowances sioners for adjusting claims to lands, and their atten 1. WHEEEAS the allowance heretofore made to to commis. the commissioners appointed to carry into execution an act entitled "An act for adjusting and settling the titles of claimers to unpatented lands," and to the sheriffs, surveyors and clerks attending the same, is inadequate to their trouble and expences; Be it enacted, That each commissioner for every day he ahall necessarily be employed in going to, attending on and returning from the business of his office, shall receive sixty pounds, the sheriff thirty pounds for every day he shall attend, and the surveyor thirty pounds for every day he shall attend, in lieu of the former allowance made by the said recited act. dants, encreased. Tax on suit. ed. II. And whereas the expence of carrying the said ors encreas- act into execution will be greatly increased, and it is reasonable and just that such expence should be defrayed by the persons to be benefitted thereby; 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 twenty dollars to the commissioners, besides a fee of ten dollars for each certificate to the clerk. rised to hear the III. And whereas the commissioners appointed for County Courts in dis- purpose of carrying into execution the before-retrict of Ken- cited act, were discontinued in the district of Kentucky, tucky autho- whereby many good people of this commonwealth were prevented from proving their rights of settlement and pre-emption in due time, owing to their being engaged in the public service of this country; Be it therefore enacted, That the county courts in which such lands may lie, are hereby empowered and required to hear and determine such disputes as have not heretofore been and determine land claims, left unfinished by commissioners. determined by commissioners acting in that country under the act of assembly; taking for their guide and direction the acts of assembly whereby the commis sioners were governed. And the register of the land Register to office is hereby empowered and directed to grant titles issue grants on the determination of such courts in the same man- thereon. ner as if the commissioners had determined the same. CHAP. XXIII. An act to empower the governor and council to fix the value of provisions impressed for the use of the army. Governor & council authorised to for the use WHEREAS great abuses have happened and may happen both in the inequality of the prices and the exorbitancy of the sums at which provisions to be im- fix the value pressed for the use of the army shall be appraised; Be of provisions it therefore enacted, That so much of the laws hereto- impressed fore in force or which have passed during the present of the army. session of assembly, as relate to the valuation of any provisions so impressed, are hereby repealed, and in lieu thereof, It is enacted, That the governor and council be empowered to fix from time to time a reasonable price in specie for all the said articles, as enumerated in and by an act of October session, one thousand seven hundred and eighty, entitled "An act to revive and amend the act for procuring a supply of provisions and other necessaries for the use of the army," and shall also be empowered to settle the allowance to be made in current money upon all certificates granted under this act, which shall be paid in taxes, to which said price and allowance the auditors of public accounts shall pay due regard, which shall be their guide for settling all certificates for the articles so enumera ted; Provided, That where the quantum or weight of any such article may be matter of doubt, it shall be ascertained by the opinion of two indifferent persons under the same regulations as appraisements would have been made except for this act. AT A GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BEGUN AND HELD son, jun. esq. governor.* At the Public Buildings in the Town Thomas Nelof Richmond, on Monday the fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one, and in the sixth year of the commonwealth. CHAP. I.t In act for incorporating the town of Town of I. FOR incorporating the town of Fredericksburg in the county of Spotsylvania, Be it enacted, That it Fredericks shall be lawful for the freeholders and house-keepers burg incorwho shall have been resident in the said town three porated. months next preceding such election, to meet at some convenient place in the said town annually on the third Monday in March, and then and there nominate and elect by ballot, twelve fit and able men, being freehold- elected. ers and inhabitants of the town, to serve as mayor, recorder, aldermen and common councilmen for the same; and the persons so elected shall, within one week after their election, proceed to chuse by ballot out of their Thomas Nelson, jun. esq. was elected governor June 12th 1781; and on the 30th of November 1781, Benjamin Harrison, esq. was elected his successor. In the original the acts of this session are distinguished both by chapters and sections. Officers,how Designation of officers. Style of corporation. powers. own body, one mayor, one recorder, and four aldermen, and the remaining six shall be common councilmen, whose several authorities as mayor, recorder, aldermen and common councilmen, shall continue until the third Monday in March in the year succeeding, and until others shall be qualified in their stead, and no longer, unless where re-elected. That the mayor, recorder, aldermen and common councilmen so elected, and their successors, shall, and are hereby made a body corporate and politic, by the name of mayor and commonalty of the town of Fredericksburg, and by that name to have perpetual succession, with capacity Corporate to purchase, receive, and possess lands and tenements, goods and chattels, either in fee or any lesser estate therein, and the same to give, grant, let, sell, or assign again, and to plead and be impleaded, prosecute and defend all causes, complaints, actions, real, personal or mixt, and to have one common seal and perpetual succession. That the person who shall be first elected mayor of the said town, shall, within one week after his election, take an oath or make solemn affirmation before a justice of the quorum in the commission of the peace for the said county of Spotsylvania, for the due and faithful execution of his office; and every succeeding mayor shall be qualified to his office before the mayor for the time being; and every recorder, alderman and common councilman shall take the like oath or make the like affirmation with respect to their office, before the mayor for the time being: But no person of office of shall hold the office of mayor for more than one year within any two years: Provided nevertheless, Where a a vacancy shall have happened in the office of mayor within the year, the person elected for the remainder of that year, may be elected again at the next general election, and act in the said office until the next general election, and until another shall be elected and qualified in his stead. Officers, how qualified. Limitation mayor. Territorial risdiction. II. And be it enacted, That the mayor, recorder and limits of ju aldermen for the time being, are hereby declared and constituted justices of the peace within the limits of the said town, which limits shall extend to low-water mark on the north-west side of Rappahannock river, and a half a mile without and around the other limits of the said town, and have the like jurisdiction in all cases whatsoever, originating within the limits afore-men ** |