Bills of exchange, being protefted, carry 10 per cent, intereft from their date.
[ 26; ] No perfon is allowed, in any other cafe, to take more than five per cent, per annum fimple intereft for the loan of monies^ Gaming debts are made void, and mo- nies aftually paid to difcharge fuch debts (if they exceed 40 fhillings) may be re- covered by the payer w^ithin three months, or by any other perfon afterwards.
Tobacco, flour, beef, pork, tar, pitch, and turpentine, muft be infpefted by per- fons publicly appointed, before they can be exported.
The erefting iron-works and mills is encouraged by many privileges; with neceffary cautions however to prevent their dams from obflrufting the navigation of the water-courfes. The general afTembly have on feveral occafions fhewn a great defire to encourage the opening the great falls of James and Patowmac rivers. As yet, however, neither of thefe have been effeded.
The laws have alfo defcended to the prefervation and improvement of the races of ufeful animals, fuch as horfes, cattle, deer; to the extirpation of thofe which are noxious, as wolves, fquirrels, crows, blackbirds; and to the guarding our citizens againft infedlious diforders, by obliging fufpefted veflels coming into the ftate, to perform quarantine, and by regulating the conduft of perfons having fuch diforders within the ftate.
The mode of acquiring lands, in the carlieft times of our fettlement, was by petition to the general aflembly. If the lands prayed for were already cleared of the Indian title, and the aflembly thought the prayer reafonable, they pafl^ed the property by their vote to the petitioner.
But if they had not yet been ceded by the Indians, it was neceffary that the petitioner fhould previoufly purchafe their right. This purchafe the aflembly verified, by enquiries of the Indian proprietors;