II. Be it therefore enacted, That the said slaves, whereof the said George Kerr died possessed, shall be, and the same are hereby declared to be vested in, the children of the said William Short, deceased, according to the form and effect of his said last will and testament, one moiety whereof being nevertheless subject to, the claim of the heir at law of the said George Kerr, if it shall be found that he was not a British subject with in the meaning of the act Concerning escheats and forfeitures from British subjects," since the commencement of the present war. CHAP. XXIV. Chap. CXIX in original. An act concerning the titles of settlers chan. Rev. on lands surveyed for sundry com- pa. 179. panies. visions of act tlers on 1. WHEREAS by the act of assembly intituled, Preamble, "An act for adjusting and settling the titles of claim- reciting proers to unpatented lauds, under the present and former of May 1779, government, previous to the establishment of the com- ch. 12, in famonwealth's land office," the title of settlers on land sur- your of setveyed for sundry companies by orders of council, were lands, sur. to be adjudged by certain commissioners appointed for veyed for that purpose; and that if the parties, their heirs or sundry com assigns, to whom such titles shall be adjudged, shall panies. not within six mouths at farthest, from the time of their respective judgments in their favour, pay or tender to the company to whom the same is due, or their agent, the price and interest so fixed by the commissioners, the title of every person so failing, shall be forfeited, and to all intents and purposes, null and void. II. And whereas it is represented to this present Former Act, general assembly, that from the great scarcity of spe- declaring cie, the persons to whom such titles have been adjudg- forfeiture of ed, have not been able to pay the price of their lands and interest within the time limited by the said act: pealed. land on non payment, ne Be it therefore enacted, That so much of the said recited act, as respects the forfeiture of the titles of settlers on lands surveyed for any company, shall be, and the same is hereby repealed; and the time limited as above for the settlers to pay the price of their lands, shall be Farther time and hereby is prolonged for twelve months, at the end of which time, the said settlers shall be liable to pay the principal and interest due for their lands, upon money. good and sufficint titles being tendered or made to Forfeiture, them; and on failure of such payment, the said land on non-pay- shall be forfeited and revert to the grantees. allowed to pay their ment. CHAP. XXV. [Chapter CXX in ori ginal.] Sales of two mouth, &a tract of land in Stafford, An drew Wodrow, administrator of A. lexander Wodrow, confirmed. An act to confirm the sale of certain lots and land made by Andrew Wodrow, administrator of Alexander Wodrow, deceased, and for other purposes. 1. WHEREAS Alexander Wodrow, in, and by his lots in Fal- last will and testament, learing date the thirty-first day of October, one thousand seven hundred and seventyone, among other things directed that his executors should dispose of his whole estate, both real and personal, except his wearing cloaths and riding horse, aud from the sales thereof to pay, in the first place, his just debts, and the residue to apply as in the said will is particularly directed: And whereas it is represented to this present assembly, that the executors named in the will of the said Alexander Wodrow, severally refused to take upon them the execution thereof, whereupon administration with the will annexed, was in due form granted to Andrew Wodrow, who hath since sold the personal estate, and also a moiety of two lots in the town of Falmouth, and a tract of land containing two hundred and twelve acres, lying on Rappahannock river, in the county of Stafford, belonging to the said Alexander Wodrow, deceased, and hath applied the money arising from such sales, towards the payment of his debts: And whereas the said Andrew Wodrow not being authorized to make conveyances to the purchaser or purchasers of the said lots and land, hatlı made application to the assembly to pass an act to enable him to do so; I Be it therefore enacted, That the said Andrew. Wodrow shall, and he is hereby authorized and empowered to, execute one or more deed or deeds, for conveying the said lots and land, so as aforesaid sold, to the purchaser or purchasers in fee. Saving to all persons, bodies politic and corporate, other than those claiming under the will of the said Alexander Wodrow, all such right, title, and interest, which they, or any of them, could or might have to the said lots and land had this act never been made. And whereas the said Alexander Wodrow died seized of other lots and lands which by his said will were directed to be sold, and the money arising therefrom to be applied to the payment of his debts, and the residue to be paid, in certain proportions, to persons residing in Great-Britain, and it is judged expedient that the said lands should remain subject to the future direction and disposition of Other lands the general assembly: II. Be it therefore enacted, That the said lots and der Wodrow lands of the said Alexander Wodrow, deceased, so re- unsold, submaining unsold, shall be, and the same are hereby vested in, the said Andrew Wodrow, subject, neverthe- ture direcless, to the future direction of the general assembly,› of Alexan remaining ject to fu tion of gene. ral assembly. CHAP. XXVI. An act to vest the capitol square, with the buildings thereon, in the city of Williamsburg, in the mayor, recorder, aldermen, and common council of the said city. [Ch. CXXI in original. 1 1. WHEREAS it hath been represented to this pre- Capitol sent general assembly, that the public lands, with the square and buildings thereon, in the city of Williamsburg, com- Willame buildings in burg, vested monly called the capitol square, may be usefully em in the corpo ployed as a residence for a graminar master, aud as a place fit for the tuition and instruction of youth: ration, for 10 years, for a grammar school. H. Be it therefore enacted, That the said lands and the buildings thereon, shall be, and the same are bereby vested in the mayor, recorder, aldermen and common council of the city of Williamsburg, for the term of ten years, and from thence to the end of the next Except the session of assembly, for the purpose of accommodating a grammar master,, and fitting it for the education and instruction of youth, except the room commonly used for the court of admiralty to hold their sessions in, which is still reserved for the public use hereby. room for the court of ad. miralty. [Ch. CXXII in original.] Pardon gran CHAP. XXVII. An act granting pardon to Demsey Butler. 1. WHEREAS Demsey Butler, being under sented to Dim tence of death, and to remain in the public jail until sey Butler, the next session of assembly: convicted of treason, in conse a 11. Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That the said Demsey Butler, convicted of treason by judgment quence of of the general court, at their session in October last, is pardon having been hereby pardoned and exonerated from the penalties of promised the said judgment, in consequence of a promise of parhim by col. don granted him by colonel Josiah Parker, in July one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one, who at that time commanded the militia on the south side of James river. Josiah Parker. CHAP. XXVIII. An act to authorize the adjournment of the courts of Henrico and of the city of Richmond, in certain cases, and for other purposes. Ch. CXXIII in original. occupation 1. WHEREAS the courthouse of the county of Preamble, Henrico, in the city of Richinond, hath been appro- reciting the priated by the directors of the public buildings, agree of the court. able to the act "For the removal of the seat of govern- house, in ment," to the holding of the sessions of the superior Richmond, courts, and the several periods affixed by law for hold- by the supe.• ing the said sessions, are found to interfere with the monthly sessions of the county and corporation courts, and otherwise to produce delay and inconvenience in the business of the said county and city: rior courts. Co urts of mond autho the court 11. Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly, That the respective courts of the county and city shall, Henric and at the first, or any succeeding court, after the passing city of Richof this act, ascertain on what court days throughouted to ad the year, the sessions of the said superior courts will journ their interfere with their respective sessions. and thereupon, courts to by order entered of record, direct public notice to be day, when s given in the said city and county of the same, and that house will their sessions on the said days respectively will be held not be occu in such place, within the said city, as the said courts pied by the may appoint and adjourn to, and shall be in such order sup. courts, particularly named. Provided, That the said courts respectively shall, in no case have or exercise such power of adjournment, except where the periods fixed by law, for holding the sessions of the superior courts, shall actually happen on the days appointed for the holding of their respective courts. And whereas the court-house of the county of Chesterfield, was burnt by the enemy, at a time when the executive council was obliged to remove to the frontiers of this state, and all business with them suspended for a considerable time; but the affairs of the county making it indispensably necessary that the justices of the said county should meet, to do the duty of their appointment, they were under the necessity of transacting such business in a house as nigh to their usual place of meeting as they U |