ty chargeable therewith, for the necessary relief and support of all such poor, lame, impotent, blind, and other inhabitants of their said county as are not able to maintain themselves..

11. And be it enacted, That the overseers of the poor Monthly re. turns to poor in each district, skall monthly make returns to the court overseers, to of their county of the poor orphans in their district, and be appointed the said court is hereby authorized to direct the said

Annual re- court. turns of the

poor, and their allowan

ces.

overseers, or either of them, to bind out such poor orphans, apprentices to such person or persons as the court on due enquiry shall approve of, and the indentures of such apprentices shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the county, and not transferrable to any person whatsoever, without the approbation of the The said overseers shall, on or before the tenth day of August annually, make up in a book to be kept for that purpose, an exact account of the persons to and for whom such monies are to be paid, the purposes for which, and the particular sums, a transcript of which, they shall once in every year return to the court to be there entered of record; a copy of which they shall also, on or before the same day, deliver to the collector of the public taxes, who is hereby authorized and required to collect the same, together with the list of persons chargeable with the poor rates, and of the sum each person is liable to pay; which collector shall give bond with good security to the court for the faithful discharge of his daty herein, and shall have the same powers to collect the said poor rates, and have the same commission, and be subject to the same fines, forfeitures, and prosecutions, as in the case of county leLevies, how vies. The said collector shall pay the money or 10collected and bacco, as the case may be, to the several persons, or to their order, for whom it was levied, on or before the first day of October, in every year; and in default thereof, it shall be lawful for the court of the county to render judgment for the same, with costs on complaint of the party, or on motion by the overseers: provided that the collector has ten days previous notice of such motiou.

accounted

for.

Powers of? church-ward

ens, in relation to bas.

tards, transferred to 0. verseers of

III. And be it further enacted, That the same power and authority given to, and vested in a churchwarden, by an act, intituled "An act for the relief of parishes from such charges as arise from bastard children born within the same," passed in the year of our Lord one

church-ward

Parochial debts, how

thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine, is hereby given the poor; who to the several overseers of the poor respectively, who are to call on shall perform the same duties as by that act are required ens for a setto be performed by a churchwarden. And the said tlement. overseers of the poor in each county, shall have power and authority to call on the late churchwardens in their counties or parishes, for a settlement of their parochial accounts, and shall receive any money in their hands belonging to the parish, heretofore levied for the support of the poor, to be applied to the debts contracted in support of the parish poor. And in case any churchwardens shall refuse to pay to the overseers of the poor in the county in which such churchwardens acted, the balance which shall appear to be in their hands on settlement being made, as aforesaid, it shall be lawful for the county court to render judgment for the same, with costs on complaint of the said overseers of the poor, or their attorney; provided such churchwarden shall have ten days previous notice of such motion. And the court of every county within this commonwealth shall be, and they are hereby authorized and required, paid. whereof public notice shall be previously given by the sheriff, to levy and assess upon the tithable persons in their respective counties, all parish charges which shall have accrued since the last laying of the levy of the parishes within their respective counties, and before the first day of April next; and the collector of the public taxes shall collect and receive such levy, and pay the same to the person entitled thereto,shall have the same commission, and on refusal to pay, be liable to the same penalty and judgments as the collector of the poor rates is entitled and made liable to: And to pre- Vagrants how vent vagrants and others, not betaking themselves to disposed of honest occupations, becoming burthensome to the industrious and useful part of the community, it is necessary that the overseers in each district should be, and they are hereby empowered to compel and put all such to work, so long as such person or persons shall continue within their district and are likely to become chargeable to the county. And whereas, by the dissolution of the vestries, and abridging their future powers, no processioners of land can legally be appointed: IV. Be it enacted, That the overseers of the poor, appointed by this act, shall have the same powers, and are required to perform the same duty which was for

Powers of

yestries trans

ferred to overseers of

the poor.

merly prescribed for the different vestries, under the direction of the different county courts, who are hereby empowered and required to make the like orders, and observe the same rules, as is directed by the act, intituled "An act for settling the titles and bounds of lands, and for preventing unlawful hunting and ranging,”

Preamble.

Marquis De La Favette

naturalized.

CHAP. V.

An act for the naturalization of the
Marquis De La Fayette.

1. WHEREAS the Marquis De La Fayette is eminently distinguished, by early and signal exertions in defence of American liberty: And whereas this illustrious nobleman continues to afford testimonies of unceasing affection to this state, and the general assembly being solicitous to bestow the most decisive mark of regard which a republic can give:

II. Be it enacted, That the Marquis De La Fayette be henceforth deemed and considered a citizen of this state, and that he shall enjoy all the rights, privileges, and immunities, thereunto belonging.

CHAP. VI.

An act for securing to the authors of literary works an exclusive property therein for a limited time.

Copy-right of 1. BE it enacted by the General Assembly, That the literary works how secured author of any book or pamphlet already printed, being to the authors a citizen of any one of the United States, who has not

transferred to any other person or persons the copy or copies of such book, or pamphlet, share, or shares thereof,

his heirs and assigns, or the person or persons who have purchased or acquired such copy or copies, share or shares, in order to print or re-print the same, bis heirs and assigns shall have the exclusive right of printing and re-printing such book or pamphlet, within this commonwealth, for the term of twenty-one years, to be computed from the first publication thereof; and that the author of any book or pamphlet already.composed and not printed or published, or that shall hereafter be composed, being a citizen, as aforesaid, his heirs and assigns shall have the exclusive right of printing and re-printing such book or pamphlet, within this commonwealth, for the like term of twenty-one years, to be computed from the first publication thereof. And if any person or persons whatsoever, shall print, reprint, or cause to be printed or re-printed, within this commonwealth, any such book or pamphlet; or shall import into this commonwealth, from any foreign kingdom or state, any printed or re-printed copies of such book or pamphlet, without the consent of the author or proprietor thereof first obtained in writing, signed in presence of two credible witnesses at least; or who, knowing the same to be so printed, re-printed, or imported, without such consent first had and obtained, shall publish, sell, or expose to sale, or cause to be published, sold, or exposed to sale, any copy or copies of any such book or pamphlet; the person or persons offending herein, shall forfeit to the party injured, double the value of all the copies so printed, re-printed, or imported; or so published, sold, or exposed to sale; to be recovered at the suit of such party, in any court of record within this commonwealth.

II. Provided nevertheless, That no person shall be entitled to the benefit of this act, until he shall have registered the title of such book or pamphlet with the clerk of the council, and procured a certificate of such registry from the said clerk; which certificate the clerk is hereby required to give, taking only three shillings for his trouble.

Additional

tish vessels.

CHAP. VII.

An act to impose additional tonnage on British vessels.

BE it enacted, That the several naval-officers shall, tonnage im from and after the first day of February next, receive posed on Bri- from the captain or commander of every ship or vessel trading to this commonwealth, owned wholly or in part by a British subject, at entrance five shillings per ton, including the tonnage heretofore imposed. And the naval officer of each district, where he has reason to suspect that any ship or vessel is registered at less tonnage than her real burthen, shall be empowered to go on board the said ship or vessel, and make a measurement of her agreeable to the carpenter's tonnage in this states which said tonnage shall be accounted for, and paid into the treasury by the several naval-officers, in the same manner as the tonnage heretofore imposed.

County courts re. formed.

courts.

CHAP. VIII.

An act for reforming the county courts, and for other purposes.

1. WHEREAS the methods hitherto established for the administration of justice within this commonwealth have proved ineffectual, and the various kinds of business cognizable by the county courts, render it. necessary that certain sessions of the said court should be set apart for the trial of suits depending in the said courts, and other sessions, for the transaction of other business;

II. Be it enacted, That courts shall be held in each Quarterly county, on the several days of holding courts in the respective counties, in the months of March, May, August, and November, in every year, for the trial of all suits at common law and in chancery, petitions for