from the price of such purchase, and, in all sales, the rights of actual tenants, holding under lease, were reserved.     By an act of April session 1782, ch. 51, measures were taken for the sale of reserved lands, concerning which nothing had before been done except the keeping them from the operation of warrants. By this act the commissioners of confiscated property were authorised, under the direction of the intendant of the revenue, to offer for sale the reserves in St. Mary's, Charles, Baltimore, and Harford counties, Manocacy manor, and Gunpowder, North-east and Elk manors, with sundry other lands, and it was declared to be the intention of the general assembly that the tenants on manors, and settlers on reserves, should have the preference of purchasing the lands held or occupied by them on paying such reasonable and moderate valuation therefor as the said commissioners, or persons to be nominated by them, should on oath determine. In the following year an act was passed, in which, after a recital of these provisions, it was stated that the persons nominated as aforesaid had in a variety of instances done manifest injustice to the state by the lowness of their valuations, so that the commissioners had refused to give titlings to the register of the land office to issue warrants to survey such lands; and, authority was given to the intendant of the revenue, and the said commissioners, to revise all such valuations, and to affix a reasonable price to the land, giving a preference to tenants and settlers at the prices so affixed, and upon their refusal or neglect to comply with the terms, the property was, after due notice, to be sold to the highest bidder. It was provided further that upon any purchase made of the aforesaid lands, the commissioners should give a titling to the register of the land office for the shore on which the land might lie, who should thereupon issue a warrant to survey such land for the purchaser, and that upon return of a certificate to the land office, (of the western shore) and after the same should be examined and passed, the purchaser should be entitled to a patent therefor, " upon the same " terms, and under such regulations," except the payment of composition, " as in the case of a survey to affect vacant " land." This act also contained a provision that there should be a reservation to the state of one fifth part of all mines of gold and silver found on the said lands.     The next law which contains provisions of importance relative to confiscated property is what has been generally termed the consolidating act, passed at the session of 1784, ch. 55; by which the funds in general of the state, comprehending, among other objects, all confiscated British property unsold, and not specially reserved (subject to the disposal of S s