riff of the said county, who shall continue in office during the term, and upon the same conditions, as is by law directed for other sheriffs. Provided always, That nothing herein contained shall be construed to hinder the sheriff of the said county of Washington from collecting and making distress for any public dues or officers fees, which shall remain unpaid by the inhabitants thereof at the time such division shall take place, but he shall collect, distrain, and account for the same in like manner as if this act had not been made. And the court of the said county of Washington shall have jurisdiction of all actions and suits, in law and equity, which shall be depending before them at the time the said division takes place, and try and determine the same, issue process, and award execution thereon. In all elections of a senator, the said county of Russel shall be of the same district as the said county of Washington.

CHAP. XLVII.*

An act for safe keeping the land papers of the Northern Neck in the register's office.

Neck to be

1. WHEREAS it is necessary and expedient that Land papers the records and papers upon which the titles to their of Northern lands of the citizens of this commonwealth depend, removed into should be kept in the same office; and whereas it hath Register's heretofore been customary to keep the records, docu- office. inents, and entries of the lands within the district of the Northern Neck in the office of the late proprietor:

er of such re

II. Be it enacted, That in future all such records, Register apdocuments, books, and papers, shall be in the keeping pointed keep of the register of the land office in the city of Richmond, cords, &e. who is hereby appointed keeper of the same; and the executive shall, within three months from the passing

⚫ Erroneously numbered LXVH in original.

Authentica

dence

of this act, cause the said records, documents, books, and papers, to be safely removed from the said proprietary office into the office of the register, who shall give a receipt for the same, which receipt shall be lodged in the council chamber, and recorded in the council books. And the expences incurred by the said removal shall be paid out of the contingent fand. III. And be it further enacted, That every person ted copies by having title or claim to any land or lands within the register, evi- Northern Neck, shall, on application, be furnished with an authenticated copy of any record, document, or writing, by the register; and such authenticated copies shall be evidence in all courts of record in which the title or quit-rents of any of the said lands shall at any time be drawn into question. And whereas since the death of the late proprietor, the right honorable Thomas Lord Fairfax, no mode hath been adopted to enable those who had before his death made entries for waste and unappropriated lands in his office, nor to enable those who since his death have made entries within the said district, according to an act of assembly, intituled "An act concerning surveyors," to obtain titles for the

Grants, on

surveys,

entries in the

same,

IV. Be it therefore enacted, That where any surveys have been heretofore made, or hereafter shall be founded on made under entries made in the life of the said proproprietor's prietor, or under entries made with the surveyor of office, to be any county, under the act of assembly aforesaid, and issued by re- which have been returned to the said proprietary office, gister.

Unappropriated lands in Northern

or shall hereafter be returned to the register's office, the register shall make out grants therefor, to bear teste under the hand of the governor and the seal of this commonwealth, in the same manner as is by law directed in cases of other unappropriated lands; and the surveyors with whom such entries have been made, are hereby directed and empowered, to proceed to survey and record the same, and to make return of such surveys to the register's office, in the same manner, and within the same time, as is or shall be directed in cases of warrants issued for other unappropriated lands within this commonwealth, and thereupon grants shall issue in the manner herein before directed.

V. And be it further enacted, That from and after the passing of this act, the unappropriated lands withNeck, dispos. in the said district shall be subject to the same regula

common.

tions, and granted in the same manner, and all ca- ed of as other veats shall be proceeded upon, tried and determined, lands of the as is by law directed in cases of other unappropriated wealth. lands belonging to this commonwealth.

grants.

VI. And be it further enacted, That upon grants is- Composition sued under this act, in consequence of entries hereto- money, on fore made, a composition after the rate of thirteen shillings and four pence for every hundred acres, shall be paid to the register, to be by him accounted for and paid into the public treasury, in the same manner as other monies by him received by virtue of his office; and the surveyors within the said district shall for their services be entitled to and receive the same fecs as other surveyors within this commonwealth for the like services.

Neck dis

VII. And be it further enacted, That the land hold- Land holders ers within the said district of the Northern Neck shall in Northern be forever hereafter exonerated and discharged from charged from composition and quit rents; any law, usage, or custom, composition to the contrary notwithstanding. and quit.

rents.

CHAP. XLVIII.*

An act to revive the act, intituled An act to empower the judges of the General Court to superintend and regulate the public jail.

of general

I. WHEREAS the act of assembly, passed in the Act empow. year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-nine, ering judges intituled "An act to empower the judges of the gene- court to su ral court to superintend and regulate the public jail," perintend & will expire at the end of the present session of assem- regulate the bly, and it is expedient and necessary that the same vived: public jail re. should be continued:

II. Be it therefore enacted, That the act, intituled "An act to empower the judges of the general court to superintend and regulate the public jail," shall be, and the same is hereby revived.

Yohogania county being

reduced too small, for a separate

CHAP. XLIX.*

An act to add that part of the county of Yohogania, situate above Cross creek and between the western boundary of Pennsylvania and the river Ohio, to the county of Ohio:

I. WHEREAS, by the extension of the western boundary between the state of Pennsylvania and this commonwealth, the greater part of the county of Yohogania has fallen within the limits of the former, County, by whereby the remainder of the said county is rendered too small and inconsiderable for a separate county;

the extension

of the Pennsylvania line, is added to Ohio.

II. Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly, That all that part of the county of Yohogania remaining within the limits of this commonwealth, shall be, and the same is hereby added to the county of Ohio.

* Erroneously numbered LXIX, in the original.

CHAP. L.

p 445.

An act to repeal an act, intituled An •act to provide for the more effectual collection of the tax of five shillings See vol. 11, per hundred acres on lands granted by patent, and to appropriate the money arising therefrom.

I. WHEREAS the act passed the last session of as- Acts impossembly, intituled, "An act to provide for the more ef- ing taxes on lauds granted fectual collection of the tax of five shillings per hunby patent redred acres on lands granted by patent, and to appro- pealed. priate the money arising therefrom," has been found partial in its operation:

II. Be it enacted, That the said recited act, and so mach of every other act or acts, as imposes the tax of five shillings per hundred acres on lands granted by patent, shall be, and the same is hereby repealed.

CHAP. LI.*

An act authorizing the treasurer to receive specie into the public treasury by weight.

BE it enacted, That from and after the passing of Treasurer to this act, the treasurer shall receive into the treasury, receive spefor taxes or otherwise (German gold excepted, which cie by weigh shall be received at four shillings and ten pence the pennyweight) all such coin as may be tendered in payment, according to its weight, whether the same may be under or over the weights established by law, at the rates fixed by an act of assembly, passed in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, intituled

Erroneously numbered XI., in the original.