CHAP. VIII.

An Act to enable the Nottoway Indians to sell certain lands, and for other purposes therein mentioned.

I. WHEREAS by an act of Assembly made in the twenty-second year of the reign of his present majesty, intituled, An act to enable the Nottoway Indians to sell certain lands, and for other purposes therein mentioned, the chief men of the said Nottoway nation were impowered, with the consent and approbation of certain trustees therein named, to sell and convey for the use and benefit of the said Nottoway nation, three thousand acres, or thereabouts, part of their tract of land six of miles square, lying between the western boundary of their said tract, and Buckhorn swamp, on the south side of Nottoway river, in the county of Southampton, so that no part of the said main swamp be included within such sale for the best price that could be got.

II. And whereas there are about three hundred acres of low ground within the bounds aforesaid, undisposed of, and since the passing the said act the number of the said Indians, for want of the common necessaries of life, and by sickness and other casualties, is much reduced, and that part of their said lands, lying on the east side of Buckhorn swamp, and the south side of Buckhorn road, to the eastern and southern boundary of their said land, containing about five thousand acres, is more than they are able, in their present circumstances, to cultivate or make any usc of, and they have petitioned this Assembly to be enabled to sell the same, for the payment of their debts, and the better support and maintenance of themselves and their posterity: Be it therefore enacted, by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the chief men of the said Nottoway nation be, and they are hereby impowered, by, and with the consent and approbation of Joseph Gray, William Taylor, and Howell Edmunds, gentlemen, the survivers or surviver of them, who are hereby appointed trustees to see this act duly executed, to sell at a credit

not exceeding twelve months, and convey as well the What lands. said three hundred acres of low grounds as the said five thousand acres within the bounds aforesaid, for the best price that can be got, and after any agreement made for the sale of the same, or any part thereof, it shall and may be lawful for the chief men of the said nation, together with the trustees aforesaid, or the survivors or survivor of them, to seal and deliver any deed or deeds, indented for the conveyance of the feesimple and inheritance of the said lands to the purchaser, who, before the execution of such deed or deeds, shall enter into bond, with good security, for the payment of the purchase money to the said trustees, for the use and purposes herein expressed; and any deed or deeds, so executed and perfected, and acknowledg ed or proved by the oath of three witnesses, in the Deeds for, court of the said county of Southampton, or in the general court of this colony, and recorded in such court, shall be good and sufficient in law to pass the fee-simple estate of the said lands so sold; and the purchaser or purchasers, his or their heirs and assigns, shall for ever hold and enjoy the same, free and discharged from the claim of the said Nottoway Indians and their posterity, any former acts of Assembly, law, usage, or custom to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.

where to be

recorded.

III. Provided always, That the purchaser or pur- Proviso. chasers of the said lands, his, her or their heirs or assigns, shall hold the same of his majesty, his heirs and successors, under the like quit-rents as are paid by persons obtaining grants for lands from his majesty.

IV. Provided also, That the said trustees shall cause Notice of public notice to be given at least thirty days before sale. the sale, by fixing up advertisements of the time and place of such sale, at the door of the court-house of the said county, on a court-day, and at every church and chapel in the parish where the said lands lie, which sale shall be made by public auction upon the said lands, and if any purchase shall be made, by any person or persons whatsoever, contrary to this act, the same shall be void to all intents and purposes.

settle ac

counts of In

V. And be it further enacted, by the authority afore- Trustees to said, That the said trustees, and the survivors or survivor of them, are hereby impowered and required to dians. examine and settle the accounts and claims exhibited against the said Nottoway nation or any of the said

Indians, and the same being duly proved, to pay and satisfy out of the money arising by such sale, or part or share of the money due to the Indian or Indians, against whom such account or claim shall be exhibited respectively; provided that no part of such account or claim for spiritous liquors shall be allowed: And when the said accounts shall be fully satisfied and paid according to the true intent and meaning of this act, the said trustees, or survivors or survivor of them, shall retain the money over and above in their own bands, which shall be by them applied towards furnishing the said Indians, with the common necessaries of life, and enabling them to pay their annual tribute, and no other use or purpose whatsoever; and the said trustees, the survivors or survivor of them, shall account to the general Assembly as often as required, in what manner they have discharged the trust reposed in them by this act, and shall be allowed in their accounts five per centum, upon the whole money arising from the sale, for their trouble and expence in the execution thereof.

Provision for relief of pro

tobacco

CHAP. IX.

An Act for continuing and amending an Act, intituled, An Act for the relief of the proprietors of the Tobacco burnt at Bolling's-Point warehouse, in the county of Dinwiddie, and for the relief of the proprietors of Tobacco burnt in Coan and Deep-Creek warehouses.

1. WHEREAS in and by an act of Assembly, made prietors of in the twenty eight year of the reign of his present burnt at Bol- majesty, intituled, An act for the relief of the proprietors of the tobacco burnt in Bolling's-Point warelings-point warehouse, house, in the county of Dinwiddie, among other things and in Coan a duty of three shillings and six-pence is imposed for and Deep every hogshead of tobacco passed at the several warehouses. houses in this colony, from and after the twentieth day

Creek warc

of October now last past, which act as to so much thereof as relates to the imposition of the said duty, will expire on the twentieth day of October next ensuing.

II. And whereas by reason of the present short crop of tobacco, the said duty will not raise money suffici ent for the purposes mentioned in the said act, and it is necessary that the said duty should be farther continued: Be it therefore enacted, by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council, and Burgesses of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That so much of the said recited act of Assembly as relates to the imposing, collecting, and accounting for the said duty, shall continue and be in force from and after the said twentieth day of October next, until the twentieth day of October one thousand seven hundred and fifty seven, and no longer, and that the money arising from the said duty shall be paid to John Robinson, esquire, treasurer, or to the treasurer for the time being, appointed by, or pursuant to an act of Assembly, and by the said treasurer accounted for to the General Assembly, after deducting two per cent. for his salary in receiving the same, and shall be applied as is herein after directed.

III. And whereas by a late accidental fire large quantities of tobacco were burnt in the public warehouses at Coan, in the county of Northumberland, and at Deep-Dreek, in the county of Lancaster, an account of which tobacco, with the names of the proprietors, is stated in the memorials of the inspectors of the said warehouses respectively, and contained in a schedule hereunto annexed, for the relief of which sufferers, Be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That the said treasurer, out of the money to be raised by this and the said recited act, shall, some time before the last day of July next ensuing, pay to the several proprietors of the tobacco burnt in the said last mentioned warehouses, and mentioned in the said schedule, after the rates following, that is to say, for the two hogsheads of crop tobacco inspected at Coan warehouse, in the year one thousand seven hundred and fifty three, also for the transfer tobacco burnt in the said warehouse, for which the inspectors notes are out, and for the three hogsheads of uninspected tobacco burnt in the said warehouse after the rate of ten shillings and six-pence per hundred; for the nett transfer

tobacco burnt in the said warehouse, and for which no notes are out, and also for all the transfer tobacco burnt in the said Deep Creek warehouse, after the rate of eleven shillings per hundred; for the hogshead of crop tobacco inspected in the said Coan warehouse, in the year one thousand seven hundred and fifty four, after the rate of twelve shillings per hundred; and for the crop tobacco inspected at each of the said warehouses of Coan and Deep-Creek, in the year one thousand seven hundred and fifty-five, after the rate of twelve shillings and six-pence per hundred.

IV. And whereas by reason of the deficiency of the duty laid by the said recited act, and the long time of payment of the duty hereby continued, the treasurer will not be able to pay the proprietors of the tobacco burnt in the said Bolling's-Point warehouse at the time mentioned in the said act, and it will be injurious to the said proprietors to wait any longer, or even until that time, for such payment; they, and also the proprietors of the said tobacco burnt at Coan and DeepCreek warehouses, being by law entitled to immediate satisfaction for their losses: Be it therefore enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That so much of the said recited act as directs the treasurer to pay the said proprietors of tobacco burnt in Bolling's-Point warehouse for their said losses, on the last day of October next ensuing, be, and the same is hereby repealed, and that the said treasurer, out of the duties laid by this and the said recited act, shall, some time before the said last day of July next ensuing, pay the said several proprietors for their tobacco according to the rates and regulations in the said act mentioned, with an interest of five per centum per annum, from the time of passing the said recited act until the time of such pay

ment.

V. And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for the said John Robinson, or the treasurer for the time being, appointed as aforesaid, to issue or emit, at any time or times, before the last day of October next, and not after, in such proportions as he shall find necessary to answer the demands that shall be made on him, for the purposes of this and the said recited act, any number of treasury notes so as the whole sum of such notes shall not exceed the sum of ten thousand pounds current money, which notes shall be prepared, printed or engraved, and numbered in