366 APPENDIX. 



full force until altered by the legislature of the district. And 

 until the governor and judges shall adopt laws as hereinafter 

 mentioned, estates in the said territory may be devised or be- 

 queathed by wills in writing, signed and sealed by him or 

 her, in whom the estate may be (being of full age), and attest- 

 ed bv three witnesses; and real estates may be conveyed by 

 lease and release, or bargain and sale, signed, sealed and deliv- 

 ered by the person, being of full age in whom the estate may 

 be, and attested by two witnesses, provided such wills be duly 

 proved, and such conveyances be acknowledged, or the execu- 

 tion thereof duly proved, and be recorded within one year after 

 proper magistrates, courts, and registers shall be appointed for 

 that purpose; and personal property may be transferred by deliv- 

 ery, saving however, to the French and Canadian inhabitants, 

 and other settlers on the Kaskaskias, St. Vincents, and the neigh- 

 boring villages, who have heretofore professed themselves citi- 

 zens of Virginia, their laws and customs now in force among 

 them relative to the descent and conveyance of property. 



Be it ordained, by the authority aforesaid, that there shall 

 be appointed fi'om time to time, by Congress, a governor, whose 

 commission shall continue in force for the term of three years, 

 unless sooner revoked by Congress ; he shall reside In the dis- 

 trict, and have a freehold estate therein, in one thousand acres 

 of land, while in the exercise of his office. There shall be 

 appointed from time to time, by Congress, a secretary, whose 

 commission shall continue, in force for four years, unless sooner 

 revoked ; he shall reside in the district, and have a freehold 

 estate therein, in live hundred acres of land, while in the exer- 

 cise of his office ; it shall be his duty to keep and preserve the 

 acts and laws passed by the legislature, and the public records 

 of the district, and the proceedings of the governor in his exe- 

 cutive department; and transmit authentic copies of such acts 

 and proceedings, every six months, to the secretary of Congress. 

 There shall be appointed a court to consist of three judges, any 

 two of whom to form a court, who shall have a common law 

 jurisdiction, and reside in the district, and have each therein, 

 a freehold estate in five hundred acres of land, while in the 



