Acts. 253

that both the persons desirous to purchase Land and to Settle
and Inhabitt on the same and also the Surveyors appointed by
the right Honrble the Lord Propry to survey and Levy out
such Lands to the said persons were deterred from makeing
soe strict a Scrutiny into the true scituation of the Sev^ll Rivers
Creeks and branches of this bay soe as to Prevent the Inter-
ference of the bounds Limitted and Appointed by the said
Suveyors for Each Tract and from Settleing of the Courses
or measureing the true distances of Lines directed to run to
the Sev^ll Trees or other bounds then prescribed to Limitt and

C. P.

bound the said Sev^ll Tracts of Land and also the Surveyors
themselves soe Appointed were too Often both very Ignorant
and Negligent in performing their Duty therein and alsoe for
as much as the bounded trees by them formerly bounded for
Very many of the said fformer Surveys are dead and so far
Lost and forgotten that no remaines or Memory are Left of
the same and the Other boundaries Either of the bays Rivers
Creeks or branches as alsoe of Courses and Distances soe
darkly and Uuskillfully Exprest that many Great Controversies
and suits have been and are dayly moved thereupon And no
Certaine Method as yett being prescribed for the Speedy
Determination thereof but a Course att Comon Law and
Tryalls by Jurys in the Provinciall Court which Juries having
never had Any View of the Lands in debate soe as to be
made Sensible of the true Scituation of them (whereby the
true Intent and Meaning of the dark and Unskillfull Express-
ions of the afa Surveyors are the better to be Understood)
Cannot possibly give a Just Verdict thereupon which Occasions
most Comon and frequent appeales to the Superior Courts
and Vast Additionall Charges thereby Accrueing Insupporta-

p. 62

ble to the Inhabitants of this province Especially the poorer
Sort who Are thereby frequently Ruined or Very much Impov-
erished and many times forced to relinquish and give up their
Just right to their more potent Litigious Adversaries rather
then Suffer the Loss of time fatigue and Expence of a Long
Journey and longer and more tedious Attendance and foras-
much as the Multitude of Cases Varying in their Severall
Circumstances will not Admitt of any Gen^ll Rules to be pre-
scribed whereby the Court and Jury may Adjudge of and
Determine the Matter in Controversy Therefore this prsent
Genl Assembly doe Humbly pray that itt may be Enacted,
And be itt Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty
by and with the Advice and Consent of his Majestys Gov-
ernour Councill and Assembly of this Province and the
Authority of the same that five persons in Each respective
County of this province (who are the best skilled in the Art
of Surveying and best Acquainted with the Nature and

p. 63