them made, and of all the lots distributed among the officers and soldiers aforesaid, and of all lots sold by them in virtue of this act, and return the same to the register of the land office, to be by him safely kept. These, which as well as the plot and books of Mr. Deakins were returned agreeable to this direction, are also considered and used, in some sort as record books of the office. But they have not been so denominated by law.     It was further provided that the privilege of roads and waters through all the aforesaid lands should be reserved to the public, and the act contained two remarkable suspending clauses, by one of which were noticed certain lands " patented " or taken up within the manors and the reserves aforesaid" in respect to which the general assembly declined to " give " orders for any disposition thereof," but directed or recommended that the cases of each kind should be stated by the governor and council, and the attorney general's opinion taken, so that the claim of the state might be prosecuted or relinquished, as law and justice might require. The other had reference to the line by which Mr. Deakins had bounded his aforesaid general survey, which was declared to be, in the opinion of the general assembly, far within that line to which the state of Maryland might rightfully claim as its western boundary, with a further declaration that, at a time of more leisure, the consideration of the legislature ought to be drawn to the western boundaries of the state, as objects of very great importance.     The only further provisions of this act which require to be noticed are those by which all remaining reserves were taken off, and all the vacant land in the state made liable to be taken up in the usual manner by warrant, at the rate of three shillings and nine pence instead of the former price of seven shillings and six pence per acre, which as they must be spoken of in another place, I shall not here dwell upon, but shall proceed with what further concerns the settlers westward of Fort Cumberland.     By an act of 1789, ch. 48, upon a representation that the times fixed for the payments of those settlers were inconvenient in respect to the season of the year, the first day of May in 1790, and the two following years, was substituted for the first of September 1789, &c. but saving any rights acquired by proclamation warrants since the said first of September, and requiring that those who had affected or might thereafter affect those lots by proclamation should pay such composition money as the original settlers were to pay for the same. By an act of 1791, ch. 85, the treasurer was empowered to receive from the settlers, at any time thereafter, the whole or any part of the money due on their several contracts, and there