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What war. rants receiv able in taxes, as specie.

tobacco, Provided such warrants or votes have beencharged on any of the branches of revenue arising from the taxes to be collected by the sheriffs or collectors of public taxes under the operation of the aforesaid acts, and shall also be applied to the payment of all such votes for payment of any sum of money or quantity of tobacco, as may pass during the present session of assembly, unless the same shall be otherwise specially provided for.

IX. And whereas it will contribute to the convenience of those persons who may be in arrears for taxes, and tend to strengthen the public credit if the warrants coming within the above description shall be declared by law to be receivable by the various sheriffs and collectors of taxes in discharge of the arrearages of the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, or in discharge of the arrearages of any former year; Be it therefore enacted, That all warrants heretofore issued, or which may be issued on or before the last day ⚫ of December, one thousand seven hundred and eightyseven, by the auditor or auditors of public accounts, to be paid out of the taxes or arrearages of one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, or of any preceding year; also all warrants so issued within the period aforesaid, for wages or salaries, or arrears of wages or salaries allowed by law to the governor, the members of the privy council, the delegates to congress, the speakers of the senate and the house of delegates, the members of the general assembly, and the officers of every denomination attending thereon, the judges of the high court of chancery, judges of the general court, judges of the court of admiralty, the treasurer, attorney general, auditors for public accounts, solicitor general, clerks to the council, to the treasurer, to the auditors and to the solicitor general, the keeper of the public jail, to the public armourers, and warrants issued to any person for any expences attending the arsenal at the Point of Fork, to the public printers, to the register of the land office, and to all naval officers or searchers for their salaries; also all warrants drawn on the contingent fund, and all warrants for allowance to military pensioners, and the expences of criminal prosecutions, and to apprehenders of horse stealears; also all warrants for interest on the certificates granted the officers and soldiers of the Virginia line, both land and naval, on continental and state es

tablishments, for their arrears of pay and depreciation, the warrants for the interest of the state loan office debt, and the interest due for the certificates granted for the paper money of this state funded, and all warrants granted for the interest on the debts due by the state for slaves executed by legal sentence, and all warrants granted for the payment of money or tobacco lent the public on the requisition of the general assembly in the session held in May, one thousand seven hundred and eighty; such tobacco being previously valued in money under the direction of the executive, and all warrants for money lent the public on the requisitions of Thomas Jefferson, esquire, then governor of this commonwealth, shall be receivable as specie by all sheriffs or collectors of public taxes in payment of all taxes due to this commonwealth for the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, or any former year, under the aforesaid laws of revenue: And every sheriff or collector of such taxes on payment thereof into the public treasury, shall have credit accordingly: and that all doubts may be removed respecting the redemption of any of the warrants above enumerated, the treasurer is hereby directed and required, on application to him made for that purpose, to indorse on the same that any sheriff or collector of public taxes making payment thereof into the treasury, will have credit for the amount thereof, in discharge of any specie tax due for the revenue of one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, or any former year under the laws aforesaid: But nothing herein contained shall be construed so as to prevent the warrants issued or which may be issued hereafter by the auditor or auditors of public accounts for payment of the salaries of the offcers of civil government, and the warrants in like manner issued, or which may be issued for the payment of interest on the certificates granted the officers and soldiers of the Virginia line, both land and naval, on continental and state establishments, for their arrears of pay and depreciation, from being received as heretofore by law directed in payment of any part of the revenue tax now due, or which may hereafter become due, but the same shall be receivable by all sheriffs and collectors of public taxes, and on payment thereof into the treasury every such sheriff or collector shall have credit for the same in like manner as if this act had not been made.

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Certain debts

due from the public, how to be paid.

X. And whereas debts are due to certain persoas for advances made by them as agents for the state or to those persons with whom such agents or others legally authorised to make contracts have made engagements to pay money or tobacco for property purchased for the use and on account of the public. And whereas also various debts are due for land appropriated for public use by the directors of the public buildings, and for rents of houses contracted for or occupied on public account, and in some cases funds have not been set apart for payment thereof, and in other cases where funds have been charged therewith such funds may not have proved productive;

XI. Be it therefore enacted, That all debts which may be due to any of the following persons, viz; Thomas Smith, Benjamin Day, David Ross, William Hay, William Armistead, and Duncan Rose, who were agents for this state for providing arms, cloathing, and other necessaries, and whose accounts have been settled by the executive, or any persons legally authorised to make such settlement; also all debts due to any persons whatsoever for goods, wares, or merchandise supplied the said agents or either of them on public account, and who have credit for the same on the public books of such agents or either of them shall be paid out of the said aggregate fund:

XII. Provided, That where any of the agents aforesaid, or any other person or persons having, or being entitled to have credit on any of the public books of such agents, shall not have made a settlement of such claims or demands with the executive, or with some person or persons legally authorised to make such settlement, the governor, with advice, of council, is hereby authorised to cause the same to be fairly settled and adjusted, and to grant a special order to the auditor of public accounts to issue a warrant or warrants for the balances which may be justly due thereon, expressing in such warrant that the same will be received of any sheriff or collector of public taxes in discharge of the arrearages of one thousand seven hundred and eighty six, or of any former year, arising under the Jaws of revenue before recited. The said fund shall also be charged, and in like manner warrants shall issue by special order of the executive, for all sums of money due by the public for lands appropriated by the

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directors of the public buildings to public purposes, or for rents of houses occupied or contracted for on public account. And where any of the aforesaid debts are due in tobacco, and the value thereof in money hath not been heretofore established, the governor shall take such means as to him with advice of council shall seem proper, to establish the just value in money at which such tobacco ought to be settled, and shall direct the auditor of public accounts to issue warrants for the same accordingly.

XIII. And whereas sundry votes of the general as-. sembly have from time to time passed, and warrants have also been issued by the auditors of public accounts for the payment of certain sums of money or quantities of tobacco for debts due to persons not coming within any of the descriptions aforesaid, and no funds have been assigned for the payment of such votes or of the warrants so issued, Be it therefore enacted, That the governor may direct the auditor of public accounts to issue warrants on the aggregate fund in favor of any public creditor whose claims have been settled by any vote of the general assembly, or by warraut from the auditors of public accounts; provided it shall appear to the governor with advice of council proper and necessary, having regard to the nature of the claim, in order to comply with the public engagements to make such arrangement in favour of the person applying for the same.

XIV. And whereas a considerable part of the arrearages of one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six and former years may be expended in the redemption of warrants which may be issued after the last day of December one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, and therefore properly chargeable on the revenue for the year one thousand seven hundred and eightyseven, for which the several sheriffs and collectors are allowed by law to distrain from and after the first day of January one thousand seven hundred and eightyeight. For remedy whereof and to prevent the several appropriations from interfering with each other to the prejudice of any public creditor, Be it enacted, That' the treasurer shall keep an account of all warrants issued after the last day of December one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven, which may be paid in discharge of the arrearages of one thousand seven hun

of sinking

fund

dred and eighty six, or any former year; and shall draw as much money from the funds appropriated to the redemption of such warrants from the revenue of one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven as will make good the same; and in like manner he shall keep another account of all warrants issued on or before the said last day of December one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven which are paid in discharge of the revenue of one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven, and shall draw as much money from the arrearages of one thousand seven hundred and eighty six, or any preceding year, as will make good the same. All the surplus of the arrearages of one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, and of all former years, after making good the aforesaid appropriations, shall be applied in aid of the several existing requisitions of congress, and either paid in specie or applied to the procuring of any of the securities of the United States as may to the governor with advice of council seem most necessary for the interest of the state and a compliance with the public engagement.

XV. And whereas by the act providing a sinking Taxes in aid fund passed at the present sessions, the interest of certificates which have been or shall hereafter be received in payment of taxes, are appropriated in aid of the said fund, and there remains a considerable amount in military certificates received for confiscated property the interest of which has not been appropriated, Be it further enacted, That the interest arising from and after the first day of January next on all certificates for confiscated property which have been paid into the treasury, shall be in like manner appropriated in aid of the said sinking fund as directed by the said recited act in the case of interest accruing on other redeemed certificates.

Other war

XVI. And whereas it appears from official returns rants receiva- made to this assembly, that the various branches of reble, as specie venue exclusive of the certificate tax yield the nett an

in taxes.

nual sum of three hundred and forty thousand six hundred and one pounds fifteen shillings and three pence halfpenny in specie, which sum will be considerably increased by the manner of listing all taxable property as directed by an act passed last session of assembly, and by the taxes arising under the act entitled "An act imposing new taxes:" And whereas the various de

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