Jameflown, in the colony of Virginia, in lieu of all fervices and demands whatfoever, the first payment to be made on the feast day of St. John the Baptist next enfuing the date of the faid letters patent: And his faid late Majefty did thereby for himself, his heirs, and fucceffors, further give, grant, ratify, and confirm to the faid Thomas Lord Culpeper, his heirs, and affigns, for ever, all and fingular the grants, powers, authorities, privileges, licenfes, and clauses, in the faid herein before recited letters patents mentioned, granted, or conveyed, in as large and ample manner, to all intents and purposes whatfoever, as if the fame, and every of them, had been particularly granted and expreffed in thefe his letters patent, except only the abovementioned provifo; and his faid late Majefty did further, of his especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, for himfelf, his heirs, and fucceffors, fully and abfolutely, for ever, release and discharge the faid abovementioned provifo, and every part thereof, and every matter and thing therein contained, in as large and ample manner, to all intents and purpofes whatsoever, as if the fame had never been made, thereby declaring the fame to be null and void; and the said Thomas Lord Culpeper, his heirs, and affigns, and the tract, territory, and premifes, and every part thereof, to be for ever freed, cleared, and difcharged, from the fame, fo and in fuch manner that the faid Thomas Lord Culpeper, his heirs, and affigns, might freely and abfolutely enter into, have, hold, occupy, poffefs, and enjoy, the faid tract, territory, and all and fingular other the premifes, freed and difcharged of the faid provifo, and all right, title, and equity, thereupon to be had, in as large, ample and beneficial manner, to all intents and purposes, as if the fame provifo had been never had or made, any thing in the faid recited letters patent, or any thing therein, or in the last mentioned letters patent, to the contrary thereof, in any wife notwithftanding, as in the faid laft recited letters patent is more fully contained.

III. AND whereas the Right Honourable Thomas Lord Fairfax, baron That the validity of of Cameron, in that part of Great-Britain called Scotland, heir at law to the faid grants made by the Thomas Lord Culpeper, is now become fole proprietor of the faid territory, agents or attornies of the prefent proprietor with the appurtenances, and the above recited letters patents; and whereas and his predeceffors have divers great quantities of land have been granted to adventurers and planters been questioned. within the faid territory, in fee fimple, by the agents and attornies of the faid Lord Fairfax, and his predeceffors, former proprietors of the faid territory, and letters patents, by virtue of divers letters of attorney, from time to time, by them refpectively given and granted to their faid attornies and agents, but now of late, after long poffeffions, and great and valuable improvements made upon the faid lands, by fuch grantees, queftions are like to arife between them and the faid prefent proprietor touching the validity of fuch grants, as well in respect to a construction set up and maintained, of the said letters of attorney, that the powers therein contained were not full and fufficient to enable and warrant the faid agents and attornies to pass away eftates in fee fimple, as in refpect of the faid Lord proprietor's eftate in the premises, the fame being now held by him as tenant in taille, under the will or wills of fome of his ancestors, whereby the minds of many of his Majesty's good subjects, poffeffors of lands and tenements within the faid territory, are greatly difquicted, and many controverfies and expenfive lawfuits may probably enfue: For the prevention whereof, and for fettling peace between his Lordship and his faid tenants,

IV. BE it enacted, by the Lieutenant Governor, Council and Burgeffes, of this A confirmation of these prefent General Affembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the fume, grants.

that from henceforth all and every grant and grants, heretofore duly and re. gularly made and paffed by any of the agents or attornies of the proprietors of the faid territory, or any of them, fhall be good, available, and binding in law, to pafs fuch eftate or eftates as therein have been granted; and the grantees, their heirs, and affigns, refpectively, fhall for ever hereafter peaceably and quietly have, hold, and enjoy, the fame granted premifes, according to fuch granted eftates, under the rents and fervices by the faid grants referved, notwithstanding the infancy, coverture, or any mifprifion or mistake of the names, dignity, or title, of the faid proprietors, or either of them, or any mif-recital, omiflion, or defect, in the faid grant or grants, or any of them, fo as the fame have been made and figned by the agents or attornies of the faid proprietors, or the husband, guar dian or guardians, truftee or truftees, of any of them, and paffed under the common feal of the office kept by them for that purpose.

At a General Affembly begun and held at the College in Williamsburg, the 27th Day of October, in the 22d Year of the Reign of George the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great-Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. and in the Year of our Lord 1748.

CHAP. IV.

An Act for confirming the Grants made by his Majefty within the Bounds of the
Northern Neck, as they are now established*.

1.HEREAS in the late difpute and controverfy touching the limits and

W boundaries of the feveral letters patent granted by their late Majefties

King Charles the Second, and King James the Second, unto the ancestors of the Right Honourable Thomas Lord Fairfax, it hath been adjadged and determined by his prefent Majefly in Council, that the faid letters patent do include ail that tract or territory of land between the rivers Potomac and Rappahannock, and the line now marked from the head spring of the faid river Potomac, to the head fpring of Rappahannock, commonly called the Conway, in which faid tract or térritory of land, as is before deferibed, many adventurers and planters have taken up great quantities of land, and obtained grants and patents thereof from the Crown, under feal of this colony; and whereas the faid Thomas Lord Fairfax hath confented before the King, in Council, that the feveral grants and patents, made by the Crown, of the lands included in the boundary aforefaid, Thould be confirmed to the feveral grantees, their heirs and affigns, to be held nevertheless of the faid Lord Fairfax, under the like rents, fervices, profits, and emoluments, as fhould be paid, done, and arife, by and from the faid grants nade by the Crown:

II. BE it therefore enacted, by the Lieutenant Governor, Council, and Burgees, of this prefent General Affembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the fame, that all grants and patents whatsoever under the feal of this colony, for lands fituate and lying within the limits and boundaries of the letters patent granted to the ancestors of the faid Lord Fairfax, as the fame are now fettled and determined, heretofore made and granted by the Crown, fhall be held, deemed, and taken, to be valid and effectual; and the adventurers and planters to whom the fame were granted, their heirs and affigns, fhall for ever hereafter peaceably and quietly have, hold, and enjoy the faid granted premifes, refpectively, according to fuch granted eftates, under the rents and fervices in the faid grants referved, to be paid and performed to the faid Thomas Lord Fairfax, his heirs and affigns for ever, any mif-recital or defect in the faid grants notwithstanding.

IN THE THIRD YEAR OF THE COMMONWEALTH.

At a General Affembly, begun and held at the CAPITOL, in the City of Williamsburg, on Monday, the 5th day of October, in the Year of our Lord 1778.

CHAP. V. 1748.c.41. An Act to empower the freeholders of the feveral Towns not incorporated, to fup ply the Vacancies of the Trustees and Directors thereof.†

I.

BE

[Paffed the 11th of December, 1778.]

E it enacted by the General Assembly, That upon the death, removal out of the country, or other legal difability of any one or more of the Truflees and Directors of the feveral towns within this ftate not incorporated, fuch vacancy, fo often as the fame fhall happen, fhall hereafter be fapplied in manner following, that is to fay: The furviving Trustees and Directors, or one of them, fhall give immediate notice of fuch vacancy to the sheriff of the county wherein fuch town may be, who within twenty days thereafter shall no tify the fame to the freeholders of the faid town, in fuch manner as he may think beft, requiring them to appear at a certain place therein, and on a certain day, not lefs than ten days thence next following, then and there to elect ■ • Fide ante, chap. 3, and notes thereto. ↑ Revised Code, 1795, pa. 87.