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Fees.

the commonwealth, to be recovered, by motion before the county or corporation court (as the case may be) on ten days previous notice, and shall moreover be liable to the action of the party injured, for any damages sustained in consequence of such neglect. And the harbour-master shall moreover attend to the unmooring of all ships and other vessels within their respective districts; and in case any vessel moored, shall by stress of weather or other accident, be drove from her mooring, the harbour-master shall attend to the re-mooring the same, and be entitled to half fees for such service.

V. And be it further enacted, That the harbourmasters shall demand, and be entitled to receive from all masters or commanders of square-rigged vessels, the sum of ten shillings, and for all schooners and sloops, the sum of six shillings, and no more: Provided nevertheless, That no master or commander of any river or bay craft, shall be subject to the payment of any fee by this act imposed.

VI. This act to commence and be in force from and after the first day of January, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six

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CHAP. III.

An act to provide for the appointment of delegates to represent this commonwealth in congress, until the first Monday in November next.

I. BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That five delegates shall be chosen by joint ballot of both houses, to represent this commonwealth in congress from the time of their appointment, until the first Monday of November, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, three of whom at least shall be constantly attending the duties of their office. The persons so appointed, shall each of them have from the governor a credential varied so as to suit the present occasion, and shall be en

titled to the same allowances as are provided by an act, intituled "An act for regulating the appointment of delegates to congress.”

CHAP. IV.

An act to provide for the poor of the veral counties within this commonwealth.

Counties to be la d off in. to districts.

I. BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That the Provision for court of every county within this commonwealth, at the poor. their session to be held in the month of March next after the passing of this act, shall cause their said county to be laid off into convenient districts, and shall direct the sheriff of their county to cause publication to be made, that on some convenient day to be appointed by the said court, an election will be held within each district, to consist of freeholders and house-keepers only, for the purpose of chusing three discreet, fit, and pro- Overseers of per persons, being freeholders of and resident within the poor to the same, who shall be called and denominated over be triennially seers of the poor, and shall continue and be in office elected. for and during the term of three years; at the expiration whereof other triennial elections shall be made in Superintenmanner herein before directed; and the said court shall, dants of elec at the same time, appoint some person in each district tions. to superintend the election. And the said overseers, apon notice to them respectively being given by the Overseers person appointed in their district to superintend and assess le the election, of their being duly elected, they, or vies on tithaa majority of them shall meet together at some bles. convenient place within their respective districts, betweeen the first day of April, and the first day of August, in every year, and shall levy and assess upon the tithables within their said county (a copy of the list of which shall be furnished them by the clerk of the county) competent sums of money, or tobacco in lieu thereof at a stated price, to be paid at the option of the par

when to meet

ty chargeable therewith, for the necessary relief and support of all such poor, lame, impotent, blind, and other inhabitants of their said county as are not able to maintain themselves,

11. And be it enacted, That the overseers of the poor Monthly re. turns to poor in each district, shall mouthly make returns to the court overseers, to of their county of the poor orphans in their district, and be appointed the said court is hereby authorized to direct the said

Annual returns of the

poor, and their allowan

ces.

overseers, or either of them, to bind out such poor orphans, apprentices to such person or persons as the court on due enquiry shall approve of, and the indentures of such apprentices shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the county, and not transferrable to any person whatsoever, without the approbation of the court, The said overseers shall, on or before the tenth day of August annually, make up in a book to be kept for that purpose, an exact account of the persons to and for whom such monies are to be paid, the purposes for which, and the particular sums, a transcript of which, they shall once in every year return to the court to be there entered of record; a copy of which they shall also, on or before the same day, deliver to the collector of the public taxes, who is hereby authorized and required to collect the same, together with the list of persons chargeable with the poor rates, and of the sum each person is liable to pay; which collector shall give bond with good security to the court for the faithful discharge of his duty herein, and shall have the same powers to collect the said poor rates, and have the same commission, and be subject to the same fines, forfeitures, and prosecutions, as in the case of county levies. The said collector shall pay the money or tocollected and bacco, as the case may be, to the several persons, or to their order, for whom it was levied, on or before the first day of October in every year; and in default thereof, it shall be lawful for the court of the county to render judgment for the same, with costs on complaint of the party, or on motion by the overseers: provided that the collector has ten days previous notice of such motion.

Levies, how

accounted

for.

Powers of church-ward

ens, in relation to bas.

tards, transferred to 0. verseers of

III. And be it further enacted, That the same power and authority given to, and vested in a churchwarden, by an act, intituled "An act for the relief of parishes from such charges as arise from bastard children born within the same," passed in the year of our Lord one

church-ward.

Parociua!

thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine, is hereby given the poor, who to the several overseers of the poor respectively, who are to call on shall perform the same duties as by that act are required ens for a setto be performed by a churchwarden. And the said tlement, overseers of the poor in each county, shall have power and authority to call on the late churchwardens in their counties or parishes, for a settlement of their parochial accounts, and shall receive any money in their hands. belonging to the parish, heretofore levied for the support of the poor, to be applied to the debts contracted in support of the parish poor. And in case any churchwardens shall refuse to pay to the overseers of the poor in the county in which such churchwardens acted, the balance which shall appear to be in their hands on setdement being made, as aforesaid, it shall be lawful for the county court to render judgment for the same, with costs on complaint of the said overseers of the poor, or their attorney; provided such churchwarden shall have ten days previous notice of such motion. And the court of every county within this commonwealth shall debts, how be, and they are hereby authorized and required, paid. whereof public notice shall be previously given by the sheriff, to levy and assess upon the tithable persons in their respective counties, all parish charges which shall have accrued since the last laying of the levy of the parishes within their respective counties, and before the first day of April next; and the collector of the public taxes shall collect and receive such levy, and pay the same to the person entitled thereto,shall have the same commission, and on refusal to pay, be liable to the same penalty and judgments as the collector of the poor rates is entitled and made liable to: And to pre- Vagrants how yent vagrants and others, not betaking themselves to disposed of. honest occupations, becoming burthensome to the industrious and useful part of the community, it is necessary that the overseers in each district should be, and they are hereby empowered to compel and put all such to work, so long as such person or persons shall continue within their district and are likely to become chargeable to the county. And whereas, by the dissolution of the vestries, and abridging their future powers, no processioners of land can legally be appointed: IV. Be it enacted, That the overseers of the poor, appointed by this act, shall have the same powers, and are required to perform the same duty which was for

Powers of

vestries trans

ferred to overseers of

the poor.

merly prescribed for the different vestries, under the direction of the different county courts, who are hereby empowered and required to make the like orders, and observe the same rules, as is directed by the act, intituled "An act for settling the titles and bounds of lands, and for preventing unlawful hunting and ranging."

Preamble.

Marquis De La Fayette naturalized.

CHAP. V.

An act for the naturalization of the
Marquis De La Fayette.

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1. WHEREAS the Marquis De La Fayette is eminently distinguished, by early and signal exertions. in defence of American liberty: And whereas this illustrious nobleman continues to afford testimonies of unceasing affection to this state, and the general assembly being solicitous to bestow the most decisive mark of regard which a republic can give:

II. Be it enacted, That the Marquis De La Fayette be henceforth deemed and considered a citizen of this state, and that he shall enjoy all the rights, privileges, and immunities, thereunto belonging.

CHAP. VI.

An act for securing to the authors of literary works an exclusive property therein for a limited time.

Copy-right of I. BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That the literary works how secured author of any book or pamphlet already printed, being to the authors a citizen of any one of the United States, who has not

transferred to any other person or persons the copy or copies of such book, or pamphlet, share, or shares thereof,

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