Richmond Enquirer

SKETCH OF THE LAWS,

Passed at the session of the General Assembly of Virginia, which commenced December 4, 1815.

1. An act "concerning Watson Town in the county of Hampshire."

2. An act, "concerning the town of Front Royal in the county of Frederick."

3. An act, "altering the day appointed by law for the session of the Superior Court of Chancery holden at Winchester."

4. An act, "incorporating a Library Company in the Town of Norfolk."

5. An act, "authorizing the Common Council of Norfolk borough to allow a salary to the Mayor thereof, and for other purposes."

6. An act, "concerning Alexander Walker."

7. An act, "giving to the inhabitants of Tyler county further time to make certain Surveys."

8. An act, "incorporating the Female Orphan Society of Norfolk."

9. An act, "concerning Charles M. Collier."

10. An act, "authorizing the Court of Tyler county to appoint persons to solemnize marriages within the same."

11. An act, "giving further time to the owners of lots in certain towns therein mentioned to build on and improve the same."

12. An act, "reducing the limits of the town of Mount Pleasant, and for other purposes."

13. An act, "concerning Connally Findlay."

14. An act, "to amend the act, entitled, 'an act to appoint Trustees for Morgan town in the county of Monongalia, and for other purposes.'"

15. An act. "allowing further time to the Collector of Harrison county to pay into the treasury the revenue due from said County."

16. An act, "fixing the permanent seat of justice for the county of Tyler."

17. An act, "concerning James Byrne."

18. An act, "concerning Frances Smith."

19. An act, "authorizing the appointment of Commissioners to ascertain and mark the dividing line between the counties of Harrison and Tyler."

21. An act, "concerning Henry Bradbury."

22. An act, "appointing Commissioners to ascertain the most proper place for holding Courts for the county of Russell."

23. An act, "to authorize the Clerks of counties of this Commonwealth, in cases where there is no county surveyor, to make entries of lands, and grant copies of warrants from the surveyor's books of their respective counties."

24. An act, "concerning Jacob Kern."

25. An act, "authorizing the removal of a house on Wide Water Street in the Borough of Norfolk, and for other purposes."

26. An act, "altering the times of holding certain quarterly Courts in the counties of Lee and Russell."

27. An act, "authorizing a sale of the glebe of Bristol parish, and for other purposes."

28. An act, "altering the time of holding a quarterly Court in the county of Buckingham."

29. An act, "concerning Thos. B. Barbour."

30. An act, "regulating the fees, and fixing the pay of prosecutors for the Commonwealth in the Superior Courts of Law."

By this act the Judges of the superior courts of law are respectively empowered to allow to the attorneys for the Commonwealth, prosecuting in their courts, such compensation for their services as they shall deem reasonable; not exceeding, in any case, the sum of one hundred dollars per annum for the court of one county: the allowance so made to be certified by the Court, and paid out of the public treasury.

Whenever judgment shall be rendered for the Commonwealth in any superior court of law, upon a prosecution for a misdemeanor, the penalty whereof is not ascertained by law to be less than 30 dollars, there shall be taxed, in the bill of costs, a fee for the Commonwealth's attorney of 10 dollars, instead of the fee heretofore taxed. And when judgment shall be rendered for the Commonwealth in such court, in any other case, wherein it hath been heretofore used to tax an attorney's fee, there shall be taxed hereafter a fee of five dollars:--provided, however, that this section shall not be construed to extend to those cases in which a higher fee is now allowed by law than those hereby directed to be taxed. No attorney for the Commonwealth in any superior court of law shall be at liberty to resign his appointment without the leave of the court, unless he shall have given to the Judge of the court in which he shall be attorney, at least thirty days notice of his intention to resign.--[Takes effect from the 1st of April, 1816.]

31. An act, "concerning Samuel Watts."

32. An act, "to enlarge the town of Monroe in the county of Botetourt."

33. An act, "appointing additional trustees of the town of Charlottesville."

34. An act, "giving further time to the Collectors of certain counties to pay into the treasury of this Commonwealth the revenue for their respective counties."

35. An act, "establishing several towns."

36. An act, "concerning John Burks and James Windon."

37. An act, "concerning James Curry."

38. An act, "giving an additional pension to Wm. Bradley."

39. An act, "concerning the legal representatives of Houlder Hudgins."

40. An act, "incorporating the town of Warrenton in the county of Fauquier."

41. An act, "allowing the Sheriff of Berkeley further time to pay into the public treasury, the revenue of said county."

42. An act, "concerning Abraham Davenport."

43. An act, "to alter the time of holding the quarterly and monthly courts of Chesterfield county, and for other purposes."

44. An act, to repeal in part an act, entitled, "an act to prevent the destruction of sheep," passed January 26th, 1814.--The sections repealed are the 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th and 5th, of that act containing the tax on dogs, and regulations concerning it.

45. An act, "to explain and amend an act to amend the act, entitled, "an act to reduce into one the several acts concerning mills, mill dams, and other obstructions of water courses." provides that all millers or occupiers of mills, which have heretofore ground, or may hereafter grind, for toll, whether established by law or otherwise, shall in future be subject to all the provisions of the 2d section of the act, to amend the act concerning mills, &c. (passed January 12th, 1807, see Revised Code, 2d vol. p. 126;) provided that every miller, or occupier of a mill, who shall fail or neglect to comply with the requisitions of the aforesaid act shall forfeit and pay to the party injured five dollars for each offence, instead of the penalty heretofore prescribed.--[Takes effect from the 18th of January, 1816.]

46. An act, "concerning the sheriff of the county of Hampshire."

47. An act, "altering the time of holding the monthly and quarterly courts for the counties of Mason and Cabell."

48. An act, "authorizing William Harvey to retain certain slaves in this Commonwealth."

49. An act, "concerning Daniel Ellis."

50. An act, "to raise a sum of money by lottery for the purposes therein mentioned."

51. An act, "concerning Joseph A. Myers."

52. An act, "concerning the Great coast-wise Canal and River Navigation Company."

53. An act, "to repeal an act, entitled, an act to establish an Academy in the county of Pittsylvania."

54. An act, "to amend an act, entitled "an act concerning the emancipation of Slaves"--provides, that any Slave who, since the 1st of May 1806, has been emancipated for extraordinary merit, and any Slave who may be hereafter emancipated for extraordinary merit, shall be at liberty to apply to the Court of any county or corporation within this Commonwealth, for permission to reside within such county or corporation. And the Court, to which such application shall be made, a majority of the acting magistrates being present, or having been summoned for that purpose, shall have power, upon satisfactory proof made to them of such extraordinary merit of the applicant, and of his or her general good character or conduct, to grant to him or her permission to remain within this Commonwealth, and to reside within such county or corporation; provided, however, that no such permission shall be granted, unless notice of the application shall have been posted at the front door of the Court house of the county or corporation, for at least five weeks preceding such application. Every application so made shall be duly entered of record: and, if the permission be granted, there shall, at the same time, be entered of record, as the authority therefor, the general good character of the applicant, and the extraordinary merit for which he or she may have been emancipated; otherwise, any permission granted by the Court shall be merely void.--A permission so granted and recorded shall authorize the person, in whose favor it is, to reside, as a free person, within the limits of the county or corporation, the Court of which shall have granted it, and shall be a full protection to such person travelling in any part of the Commonwealth; but it shall not authorize him or her to reside within any other county or corporation.--When permission shall have been so granted to any emancipated Slave to reside as a free person within any county or corporation, it shall be lawful for the same court to extend the like permission to his or her emancipated wife or husband, or children: provided, that like notice of the application be posted at the Court house door, and that satisfactory evidence be adduced of the general good character and conduct of such wife, husband or children.--When any application for leave of residence within this Commonwealth made by any emancipated slave, shall be rejected, the rejection thereof shall be recorded, and shall be final: insomuch that no appeal shall be taken thereupon, & that any such permission granted by any court thereafter shall be null and void. If any emancipated slave, having obtained leave of residence as aforesaid, shall afterwards be convicted, by the verdict of a Jury and the Judgment of a court, of any offence against the laws of this Commonwealth, it shall be lawful for any county or corporation court, having granted such leave, a majority of the acting magistrates being present, or having been summoned therefor, and such emancipated slave having been duly summoned to shew cause against it, to revoke the leave of residence granted as aforesaid, if to them it shall seem expedient. If, after such revocation, such emancipated slave shall remain within this Commonwealth more than twelve months, he or she shall forfeit his or her right of freedom, and may be apprehended and sold in the manner prescribed by the 10th sec. of the act to amend the several laws concerning Slaves, passed the 25th January, 1806. And if any descendant, however remote, of any such female slave, as may have obtained leave of residence as aforesaid, shall at any time be convicted of any offence against the laws of this Commonwealth, it shall be lawful for the court of that county or corporation within which the conviction may be had, or such descendant may reside, to revoke in like manner, the leave of residence of such descendant, and to order him or her to depart this Commonwealth; whereupon, if he or she shall remain therein more than twelve months, he or she shall forfeit his or her right of freedom, and may be in like manner apprehended and sold.

[Takes effect from Jan. 24th, 1816.]

55. An act, "to amend the act, entitled, "an act incorporating a Company to establish a Turnpike road, commencing at any point on the route laid down for the Leesburg turnpike road, extending towards the Falls bridge, as far as the boundary of the District of Columbia."

56. An act, "concerning James Durell."

57. An act, "establishing a separate election on the East side of Cheat river, in the county of Monongalia."

58. An act, "authorizing the divorce of Hezekiah Mosby from his wife Betsy."

[TO be Continued.]