Copiah, Jefferson, Franklin, Pike, Amite, Wilkinson and Adams and shall continue in office until their successors shall be appointed, and in case of vacancy in said board during the recess of the legislature by death, resignation, refusal to act, or removal, it shall be the duty of the governor of the state to fill such vacancies as often as they may occur: The president of the board, and each commisTheir com- sioner, shall receive for his services, four dollars per diem, pensation. for the time he or they may be actually employed, but the

To cause rivers to be

compensation of no one to exceed five hundred dollars per annum, which compensation shall be paid out of the fund hereby created.

SEC 5. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the said board, to cause to be examined and surexamined veyed, all the rivers that can be made navigable, and all and survey the main leading roads from the interior to commercial points: Provided, the commissioner in each district, shall attend and act in conjunction with the engineer in making such examination and survey within his district.

ed.

of money

river, &c.

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That the said board To calcu- of commissioners shall carefully calculate the amount of late amount money and labour separately, which will be required to required to make each of said rivers navigable, and the description of be expended on each navigation they may be susceptible of, and also the amount of money or labour that will be required to make each of said roads; and erect bridges thereon where necessary, so as to shew whether it would be most advantageous to the state, to have the work done by contract, or by slave labour the property of the state; they shall also keep a journal of their proceedings, and report to the next session of the generally assembly, and annually thereafter, as may be required, the result of their examinations, surveys and estimates.

and faith of

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That the three per Three per cent. fund arising from the sale of public lands, and not cent. fund, heretofore appropriated, and that which may hereafter the state accrue to the state, and all funds arising from the sale of pledged for the redemp- of lands that may be given to this state, by the government tion of said of the United States, for internal improvement, and the faith of the state, are hereby pledged for the payment and

loan.

redemption of the aforesaid loan, and all interest that may become due thereon, and it shall be the duty of the governor of the state for the time being, to apply the funds hereby pledged at the expiration of every year, to the payment of the interest of said loan, as far as the same will extend, and the surplus, if any, to be vested in bank stock, yielding an annual or semi-annual dividend, which stock when purchased, to be held as a pledge, also for the redemption of said loan.

Approved, February 4, 1829.

AN ACT, respecting Runaway Slaves.

runaway

in

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the state of Mississippi, in General Assembly convened, That the courts of probate of the several counties Duty of of this state, whereof the county towns or seats of justice courts, probate are incorporated by law, shall, at the first session of said relation to courts after the passage of this law, offer to the said corpo- slaves. rations respectively, all persons of colour committed to the jails of the respective counties as runaway slaves, to be employed in labour on the streets of said cities or towns, and on the highways and bridges adjacent, upon the said corporations giving bond to the presiding judge of the said court, and his successors in office, for the use of the owners of said runaway slaves, in such sum and with such security as the said court may deem sufficient, and conditioned for the safe keeping of the said runaway slaves, during the time they are so employed, and in going from and returning to jail: Provided, that the said corporations respectively, notify the said court of their acceptance of the provisions of this act, within six months from the passage thereof.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That as many of the said corporations as shall accept the provisions of this act, Corporashall annually, or monthly, as most convenient, appoint a tion to appoint supersuperintendent, whose duty it shall be, to receive the said intendent. runaway slaves from the sheriff or jailor of the county every morning, and to return them to the jail every even

court when

town shall

to

visions of

this act.

ing, to superintend them while at labour, and to secure them from escape by a ball and chain, or in such other manner as will best unite security with humanity; and that the said superintendent shall give bond, if required, by his respective corporations, for the faithful discharge of his duty, and shall receive from said corporation such compensation as may be agreed upon for his services.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That whenever the Duty of respective corporate and county town shall refuse to accorporate cept the provisions of this act, or whenever the seat of jusrefuse tice for the county is not incorporated, then and in either accept pro- case, the said probate court for said county respectively, may appoint whenever they deem the same expedient, one or more superintendents, whose duties shall be the same as provided in the second section of this act, and who shall give bond with the same conditions as are provided in the first section to be given by corporations, and also for the faithful discharge of his duty, in such sum, and with such security, as the said court may deem reasonable and just, provided that the said court shall designate the streets, roads or bridges on which said runaways shall be employed under this section, and that the said superintendent shall be paid out of the road and bridge fund of the county, such compensation as the said court may direct, if there be such a fund in the county, and if there be no such fund, then it shall be paid out of any moneys in the county treasury of the said county, not otherwise appropriated.

Repealing clause.

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That all acts and parts of acts, respecting runaway slaves, not conflicting with the provisions of this act, be, and remain in full force. Approved, January 29, 1829.

Time of holding chancery

court, in eastern district.

AN ACT, to change the time of holding the Court of Chancery, in the eastern and third chancery districts.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the state of Mississippi, in General Assembly convened, That from and after the passage of this act, the February term of the court of chancery in the eastern

district, shall be held on the fourth Mondays of said month,

in each and every year.

same in 3d

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That from and after Time of the passage of this act, the court of chancery for the third holding district, shall be held on the first Mondays of May and strict. November, in each and every year.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That all acts and parts Repealing of acts, contrary to the provisions of this act, be, and the clause. same are hereby repealed.

Approved, January 31, 1829.

AN ACT, to extend the provisions of the 67th chapter of the acts, passed in the year 1828, so as to include constables.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the state of Mississippi, in General Assembly convened, That the provisions of the above recited chapter, be, and the same are hereby extended so as to include and operate upon constables in the discharge of their official duties: provided, that the affidavit in the first section of said chapter mentioned, may be filed with the justice of the peace, or court, from which such executions shall have issued, and that in all cases where the said chapter shall be applied to constables, the duties required of the clerk of any court, and the issues directed to be tried by a jury, shall be done and tried by the justice of the peace, or court, to which such execution or other process may be made returnable And provided also, that the fine to be inflicted on constables for false returns, or for not paying over money, shall not exceed fifty dollars, and that an appeal shall lie from the decision of the justice to the circuit court, as is provided by law in other cases decided by justices of the peace.

Approved, January 26, 1829.

line

be

AN ACT, to change the dividing line between the counties of Warren and Yazoo.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the state of Mississippi, in General Assembly Dividing convened, That the dividing line between the counties of tween War- Warren and Yazoo, shall hereafter run as follows, to wit: and Beginning on the Yazoo river, at the mouth of Collins' bayou, and run on a direct line to that point on the Big Black river, where the north boundary line of township number seven, in range four, west, strikes the same.

ren

Yazoo counties.

SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That James Bland, Commis- and the county surveyor of Warren county, and Marcus sioners ap- Pierce, and the county surveyor of Yazoo county, be, and said they are hereby appointed commissioners to run and mark

pointed to

run

line.

sioners to

said line, who shall receive as a compensation for their services, the sum of five dollars per day, for each and every day they may be engaged in running said line, payable out of the county treasury of their respective counties, which allowance, the county courts of said counties are hereby authorized to make.

SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, That said commisCommissioners are hereby authorized to employ a suitable number employ of chain carriers with such compensation as they may think proper to allow, payable in the same manner that the commissioners are to be paid.

chain

riers.

car

SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, That all acts and parts Repealing of acts coming within the purview and meaning of this act, clause. be, and the same are hereby repealed.

Approved, January 28, 1829.

claimed by

AN ACT, to amend the several acts concerning Escheats.

SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of RepreEstates not sentatives of the state of Mississippi, in General Assembly heirs within convened, That all estates not claimed by the heirs or to escheat. legatees within three years after final settlement, such estate shall escheat as in other cases provided for by law,

three years