Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-05-21

luSrSot, 10 regulate party or Otner FENCES
and to determine by whom the same snail
be made aud kept in repair; to lay opei
| streets, avenues, lanes and alleys, and Il
regulate, or prohibit all enclosures thereof
| and to occupy and improve for public pur-
poses, by ana with the consent of the Pre-
| sident of the u. States, any part of the pub
liC and open space or squares in said city,
not interfering with any private rights to
regulate the measurement of, and weight by
which all articles brought into the city for
sale, shall be disposed of; to provide for the
appointment of appraisers and measures
of builders work and materials, and also of
wood, Goals, grain aud lumber; to restrain
and prohibit the nightly and other disorder
ly meetings of slaves, free negroes and mu-
lates, and TO punish such slaves by whipping,
not exceeding forty stripes. or by imPrison-
ment, not exceeding six calendar months,
for any one offence and to punish such free
negroes and mulattoes for such offences, by
fixed penalties, not exceeding twenty dol
lars for any one offence and in case Of the
inability of any such free negro OF mulatto
to pay and satisfy any such penalty and
costs thereon, to cause such free negro or
mulatto to be confined to labor for such rea-
sonable time, not exceeding six calendar
months, for any one offence, as may be
Ito cause all Migrants, idle or disorderly
persons all persons of evil life or i'll fame
and all such as have no visible means of
support, or are likely to become chargea-
bic to the city as paupers, or are found
begging or drunk in or about the streets, or
lettering In or about tipping houses, or
who can show no reasonable cause of BUSH
ness or employment in the City and all sus-
picious persons, and all who have no fixed
place of residence, or cannot give good
account of themselves ali eves-druppers
and knight walkers /; all who are guilty of
open profanityor grossly indecent language
or behavior publicly in the streets; all pup
lie prostitutes and such as lead a notorious,
ly lewd on lascivious Course OF life and all
| such as keep public gaming tables OF gam
bling houses, TO give security for their goDa
behavior for reasonable time, and to in
demnify the city against any charge for their
support. and in case OF their refusal or ina
| bility to give such security, to cause them
| TO be confined to labor for limited time,
not exceeding one year at time, unless
| such security should be sooner given but if
| they shall afterwards be found again offend
| ing, such security may be again required,
| and for want thereof, the like proceedings
may be again had, from time to time, as Of
| ten as may be necessary to prescribe the
| terms and conditions upon which free ne
| groes, mulattoes and others, who can show
no visible means OF support, may reside in
| the City to cause the avenues, streets,
J lanes and ALLEYS tobe 'fert clean, and to ap-
point officers for that purpose TO authorist
the drawing of lotteries Tor effecting any i'm.
portant improvement i'll the city, which the
ordinary funds or revenue thereof will not
| accomplish ProUideG, that the amount t
be raised in each year shall not exceed the
| sum of ten thousand dollars: ind tirovi-
ded also, That the object for which the mo-
ney is intended to be raised, shall be first
| submitted to the President of the United
States, and shall be approved of by him
to take care of, preserve and regulate the
several burying grounds within the city to
| provide for registering of births, deaths and
marriages tn cause abstracts or minutes oi
/ all transfers of real property, both free-ho!d
and lease-hold, to be lodged in the registry
o the city at stated periods to authorize
night watches and patroles, and the taking
up and combining by them in the night
| time, of all suspected persons; TO punish
| by law, corporeally, any servant or slave
| guilty of a breach of any of their bye-laws or
| ordinances, unless the owner or holder Of
such servant or slave shall pay the fine an.
nexed to the offence; and to pass all laws
which shall be deemed necessary and pro-
per for carrying into execution the forego'
ing powers, and all other powers vested in
the corporation, or any of its officers, either
by this act or any former act.
| Sec. 7. ind be h further enacted, That
the marshal of the district of Columbia
shall receive and safely keep within the jai
for Washington county, at the expense o.
the city, all persons committed thereto TN
der the sixth section of this act, until o
Their arrangements be made, by the cOrpo
ration, for the confinement Of offenders
within the provisions of the said section
And in all cases where suit shall be brough
before q justice of the peace, for the reco
very of any fine or penalty arising or in
Cured for breach Of any bye-law or or.
dinance Of the corporation, upon returr
of nulla bona to any fieri facias issued q
gainst the property of the defendant or de
PENDANTS, it shall be the duty of the clerl
of the circuit court, tor the county Of Wash
ington, when required, to issue a writ Of ca
pias adj satiSfacicndum against every sucI
, defendant, returnable to the next circui
court for the county Of Washington, there
after, and which shall be proceeded on q
in other writs Of the like kind.
: Sec. 6. Ind be n further enacted, Tha
/ uuimproved lots ~ the city OF Washington
or which two years axes remain due ant
, unpaid, ~ so much thereof as may be nc
$ cessary TO pay such taxes, may be sold n
s public sale for such taxes due thereon -
( ProUided, THAI public notice be given O
S the time and place of sale, by advertising il
{ some newspaper printed in the city O
4 | Washington, az least SIX months, where tn
s property belongs TO persons residing ia tn
, u. States but without the limits OF the dis
K trict of Columbia; and six weeks, wher
the property belongs 20 persons residin
r within the district Of Columbia or City
Washington in which notice, shall be sta,
Il cd the number Of the lot or lots, the nun