sentatives; in the county of Nelson five representatives; in the county of Mercer five representatives; in the county of Lincoln five representatives; in the county of Madison five representatives; in the county of Fayette five representatives; in the county of Woodford five representatives; in the county of Bourbon five representatives, and in the county of Mason five representatives: Provided, that no free male inhabitant above the age of twenty-one

years, shall vote in any other county except that in which Qualification he resides, and that no person shall be capable of being of the repre. elected unless he has been a resident within the said dissentatives, trict at least one year.

Sect. 2. That full opportunity may be given to the good people of exercising their right of suffrage on an oc

casion so interesting to them, each of the officers holding Elections to such elections, shall continue the same from day to day, be continued passing over Sunday, for five days, including the first day, for five days, and shall cause this act to be read on each day immediDuty of the ately preceding the opening of the election, at ibe door of sheriffs con- the court-house or other convenient place; each of the ducting them, said officers shall deliver to each person duly elected a

representative, a certificate of bis election, and shall transmit a general return to the clerk of the supreme court, to

be by him laid before the convention. Penalty on Sect. 3. For every neglect of any of the duties hereby them for enjoined on such officer, he shall forfeit one hundred neglect.

pounds, to be recovered by action of debt by any person

suing for the same. The conven Sect. 4. The said convention shall be held at Danville tion to deter- on the twenty-sixth day of July next, and shall and may mine on the proceed, after choosing a president and other proper offiexpediency of erecting the cers, and settling the proper rules of proceeding, to consaid district sider and determine whether it be expedient for, and the into an inde will of the good people of the said district that the same pendent state, be erected into an independent state, on the terms and on certain conditions ;

conditions following: Boundary be- Sect. 5. First, that the boundary between the protween the pro- posed state and Virginia, shall remain the same as at preposed state

sent separates the district from the residue of this Comand this Com

monwealth. monwealth. The proposed

Sect. 6. Second, that the proposed state shall take upon state to pay itself a just proportion of the debt of the United States, part of the and the payment of all the certificates granted on account debt of the United States

of the several expeditions carried on from the Kentuckey

district against the Indians, since the first day of January and of this one thousand seven hundred and eighty-five.

Common

wealth. Sect. 7. Third, that all private rights and interests of lands within the said district, derived from the laws of derived from Virginia prior to such separation, shall remain valid and this Commonsecure under the laws of the proposed state, and shall be wealth to be determined by the laws now existing in this state.

secured. Secr. 8. Fourth, that the lands within the proposed How lands of state of non resident proprietors, shall not in any case be non resident taxed higher than the lands of residents, at any time prior proprietors

are to be to the admission of the proposed state to a vote by its de

taxed, legates in Congress, where such non residents reside out of the United States; nor at any time either before or after such admission, where such non residents reside within this Commonwealth, within which this stipulation shall be reciprocal; or where such non residents reside within any other of the United States, which shall declare the same to be reciprocal within its limits; nor shall a when forfeited neglect of cultivation or improvement of any land within for neglect of either the proposed state or this Commonwealth, belong

cultivation. ing to non residents, citizens of the other, subject such Ron residents to forfeiture or other penalty within the term of six years, after the admission of the said state into the Federal Union.

SECT. 9. Fifth, that no grant of land or land warrant Grants oflands to be issued by the proposed state, shall interfere with any by this Comwarrant heretofore issued from the land office of Virginia,

monwealth

and the prowhich shall be located on land within said district now

posed state liable thereto, on or before the first day of September one not to interthousand seven hundred and ninety-one.

fere. Sect. 10. Sixth, that the unlocated lands within the Unlocated said district, which stand appropriated to individuals or lands approdescription of individuals, by the laws of this common- priated to in.

dividuals for wealth, for military or other services, shall be exempt military servifrom the disposition of the proposed state, and shall re- ces to be dismain subject to be disposed of by the Commonwealth of posed of by Virginia, according to such appropriation, until the first wealth. day of May one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, and no longer: thereafter the residue of all lands remaining within the limits of said district, shall be subject to the disposition of the proposed state.

Sect. 11. Seventh, that the use and navigation of the Navigation of river Ohio, so far as the territory of the proposed state, the Ohio to be

free and comor the territory which shall remain within the limits of this Commonwealth lies thereon, shall be free and com

which may

mon to the citizens of the United States, and the respective jurisdictions of this Commonwealth and of the proposed state on the river as aforesaid, shall be concurrent only with the states which may possess the opposite

shores of the said river. Commission Sect. 12. Eighth, that in case any complaint or disers to settle

pute shall at any time arise between the Commonwealth disputes

of Virginia and the said district, after it shall be an inde. arise respect. pendent state, concerning the meaning or execution of ing the fore. the foregoing articles, the same shall be determined by going articles. six commissioners, of whom two shall be chosen by each

of the parties, and the remainder by the commissioners

so first appointed What number Sect. 13. Provided however, That five members as. of members

sembled, shall be a sufficient number to adjourn from day pecessary to proceed to

to day, and to issue writs for supplying vacancies which business, may happen from deaths, resignations or refusals to act;

a majority of the whole shall be a sufficient number to chuse a president, settle the proper rules of proceeding, authorise any number to summon a convention during a

recess, and to act in all other instances where a greater and to deter- number is not expressly required. Two thirds of the mine the ques. whole shall be a sufficient number to determine on the tion concerning the erec- expediency of forming the said district into an indepention of the said dent state on the aforesaid terms and conditions, Provided district into an that a majority of the whole number to be elected conindependent state.

cur therein. When the au

Secr. 14. And be it further enacted, That if the said thority of this convention shall approve of the erection of the said disCommon- trict into an independent state on the foregoing terms and wealth over

conditions, they shall and may proceed to fix a day postethe said district to cease.

rior to the first day of November, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, on which the authority of this Commonwealth, and of its laws under the exceptions aforesaid, shall cease and determine forever over the proposed state, and the said articles become a solemn compact mutually binding on the parties, and unalterable

by either without the consent of the other. The assent of Sect. 15. Provided however, That prior to the first the general day of November, one thousand seven hundred and pinetygovernment to be obtained. one, the general government of the United States shall

assent to the erection of the said district into an inde. pendent state, shall release this Commonwealth from all its fæderal obligations arising from the said district as being part thereof, and shall agree that the proposed stale

a

shall immediately after the day to be fixed as aforesaid posterior to the first day of November one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, or at some convenient time future thereto, be admitted into the Federal Union.

Sect. 16. And to the end that no period of anarchy The conven. may happen to the good people of the proposed slate, it tion to provide is to be understood that the said convention shall have for the estab.

lishment of a authority to take the necessary provisional measures for constitution of the election and meeting of a convention, at some time government prior to the day fixed for the determination of the autho- for the prority of this Commonwealth, and of its laws over said dis- posed state, trict, and posterior to the first day of November one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one aforesaid, with full power and authority to frame and establish a fundamental constitution of government for the proposed state, and to declare what laws shall be in force therein, until ibe same shall be abrogated or altered by the legislative authority acting under the constitution so to be framed and established.

Sect. 17. And be it further enacted, That the electors Privileges of in going to, continuing at, and returning from an election the electors, of members to the said convention, shall be entitled to the same privileges from arrest, as are by law allowed at an election of members to the General Assembly, and each person returned to serve as a member in said con- and of the revention, shall be entitled to the same privileges from presentatives, arrest in going to, during his attendance on, and returning from said convention, as are by law allowed to the members of the General Assembly.

Sect. 18. This act shall be transmitted by the execu- The executive tive to the representatives of this Commonwealth in Con- to transmit gress, who are hereby instructed to use their endeavours

this act to this

Commonto obtain from Congress a speedy act to the effect above wealth's respecified.

CHAP. XV.

An act against those who counterfeit letters or

privy tokens, to receive money or goods in other
men's names.

(Passed the 18th of November, 1789.)
Preamble. Sect. 1. WHEREAS many evil disposed persons

have falsely and deceitfully contrived, devised and ima-
gined privy tokens and counterfeit letters in other men's
names, unto divers persons, their special friends and ac-
quaintances, for the obtaining of money, goods and chat-
tels of the same persons, their friends and acquaintances,
by colour whereof the said evil disposed persons have de-
ceitfully and unlawfully obtained and gotten great sub-
stance of money, goods and chattels into their hands and

possession, contrary to right and conscience. Any person

Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That if any deceitfully ob.

person or persons, shall falsely and deceitfully obtain or taining another's money

get into his or their hands or possession, any money, or goods,

goods or chattels of any other person or persons, by colour by means of and means of any such false token or counterfeit letter, false tokens, made in any other man's name as is aforesaid; every

such person and persons so offending, and being thereof
lawfully convicted in the court of the district, in which

such offence shall have been committed, shall have and to be impri- suffer such correction and punishment, by imprisonment soned and set of his body without bail or mainprize, for any space not upon the pil. exceeding one year, and setting upon the pillory, as shall lory.

be unto him or them limited, adjudged or appointed by

the said court. Person injur. Sect. 2. Saving to the party grieved by such deceit, ed not to lose such remedy by way of action or otherwise, of and for the his remedy by same money, goods and chattels so obtained, as he might action for such money or

have had, if this act had never been made; any thing in goods. the same contained to the contrary, in any wise notwith

standing