S E L 



S E L 



of difadvantage arifing from fuffering mere men of the law 

 to intermeddle in the piirchafes of lands, before the preli- 

 minaries of agreement have been ad|ulled, that no apology 

 is due to the profelTion for the obfervations which he has 

 thrown out in the above cafes. 



But in purchafiiig by private contraift, the particulars 

 whicli may be required to be fnriiifhed by a feller, are, he 

 fays, the quantities of the feveral pieces of lands on fale, 

 together with the maps, or rough draughts of the fame ; 

 the tenure under which they are holden ; fome aflurance 

 as to the title of the feller, and his right of alienation ; the 

 tenancy under wliich the feveral farms are let : and, if on 

 lives, the ages of the nommees ; if for a term of years, 

 the number unexpired; if at will, the notices (if any) 

 which the tenants liave had : and an abftradl of the co- 

 venants under which they are let ; particularly thefe which 

 relate to taxes and repairs, to the expenditure of produce, 

 to the ploughing of grais-lands, 5cc. : the exiiting rents 

 and profits receivable ; whether for tenanted lands, appur- 

 tenances, or abllratt rights ; with the eltimated value of 

 the demelne, and the wood-lards, in hand ; together with 

 the eftimated value of the timber growing upon the eftate 

 on fale ; as well as of the minerals and foffils which it may 

 contain : the outgouigs to which the eilate is liable ; 

 the propofod time of the delivery of poffeflion ; the price 

 and the mode of payment expefted for the fame. And in 

 the next place, he confiders it as proper to fet down the par- 

 ticulars of iri/lruffions to be given to a furveyor, or other 

 valuer, of an eftate to be purchafed. But it will be right, 

 however, he thinks, to premife, that much, in this refpeft, 

 depends on the probabiHty of purchafing ; and on the time 

 allowed for making the eflimate. In cafes of fale by 

 pubhc aaftion, where there can be no certainty as to pur- 

 chafe, and where the time for valuation is limited, a rough 

 eftimate of each farm, and a general idea of the value of 

 the timber and other appurtenances, may be all that can 

 be prudently afcertained. While in a fale by private con- 

 trail, where the refufal of an eftate is granted, and time 

 allowed for deliberate furvey, a more mmute inveftigation 

 may be preper, efpecially when there is every reafon to 

 believe that a bargain will take place. For the fame re- 

 port will not only ferve as a guide to the purchafe, but 

 will become a valuable foundation on which to ground the 

 future management of the eftate. And he fuggefts, that 

 for thefe and other reafons, a purchafe by private contrail 

 is moft to be defired by a gentleman, who is not in the 

 habit of perfonally attending public fales, and is unac- 

 quainted with the bufinefs of auftion rooms. But, he fays, 

 it does not follow that a fale by auftion is equally ineligible 

 for a feller ; who may gain the 'vantage ground by this 

 mode of difpofal ; provided he can fruftrate the combina- 

 tions of public fales. The auftion duty, however, and the 

 heavy expences of pubhc fales, are objeftions to this 

 method of making a bargain ; as the money thus expended 

 muit neceffarily come out of the pocket of the buyer or 

 the feller. 



And in regard to the particulars to be required from a 

 furveyor or furveyors, they are principally thefe. The 

 rental value of each field or parcel of land, with the ftate in 

 which it lies, as to arable, meadow, pafture, or wood-land. 

 The value of the timber, and other appurtenances. The 

 charafteriftic, and the ftate of management, of each farm or 

 tenement ; with the eligibility of its occupier ; together 

 with the ftate of repair of buildings, gates, fences, water- 

 courfes, and roads ; the amount of the incumbrances and 

 outgoings ; and, laftly, the probable value of the im- 

 provements of which the eftate may appear to be capable, in 



different ways. And it is alfo added, that thefe feveral 



particulars of information being procured, the fubjefts of 

 treaty are few. The two ttatements having been duly com- 

 pared, fo that no mifunderftanding can take place between 

 the parties, the price, with the times and mode of payment, 

 are the principal matters of agreement. A clear under- 

 ftandmg refpefting the cuft ody of title deeds, and the expences 

 of conveyance, require, however, to be enumerated among 

 the preliminaries of the purchafe before any thing is finally 

 fetttlcd. 



But in what relates to the bufinefs of the negociation, it 

 is bell carried on by letters ; which become vouchers of 

 fafts. Whatever is done by interview requires to Tie re- 

 duced to writing, and to be read by or to the parties before 

 they feparate, that no poffibility of mifconception may 

 arife. And in addition to thefe precautions, it is proper, in 

 large purchafes, and v.-hen abftrafts of intricate title deeds 

 are to be made out, and examined, that a legal contraft, or 

 memorandum of agreement, ftiould be entered into for the 

 mutual fatisfaction and furety of the parties. This con- 

 traft, and the deed of conveyance, (namely, the inftrament 

 whicli is legally to transfer the property from the feller to 

 the purchafer,) may be faid to conclude and ratify the 

 bufinefs of the purchafe, and in this part of it, legal 

 aflillance is elfentially neceflary ; to examine exifting deeds, 

 and lee that the feller has a legal right and clear title to the 

 land, and a legal power to difpofe of it ; as well as to draw 

 up, or examine, the frefti deed of conveyance, and fee that 

 it is fufiicient to transfer the property, legally and ade- 

 quately, to the purchafer of fuch landed eftate or property. 

 See Valuation of Land. 



SELLIUM, in Ancient Geography, a town of Spain, in 

 Lufitania, S.E. of Callipo and N.E. of Scalabis. 



SELMA Creek, in Geography, a river of Kentucky, 

 which runs into the Ohio, N. lat. 38° 54'. W. lonj;. 



84: 34'- 



SELMAST, a town of Perfia, in the province of Adir- 

 beitzan or Azerbijan, fituated in the moft pifturefque, and 

 at the fame time, the raoft flourifliing divifion of the pro- 

 vince, lying along the N. and W. border of the lake of 

 Urumea, from Tabruz or Tabris, to the confines of Ar- 

 menia. The town contains about 2000 inhabitants, prin- 

 cipally Neftorian Chriftians, and is famed for its lofty 

 poplars and delightful gardeiis ; 75 miles W.S.W. of Ta- 

 breez. N. lat. 37° 45'. E. long. 45° 20'. 



SELNITZ, a town of Bohemia, in the circle of Chru- 

 dim ; 16 miles N.W. of Chrudim. 



SELO, a river of Naples, which runs into the Medi- 

 terranean, near Pefti. 



SELOCZOW, a town of Auftrian Poland, in Galicia ; 

 40 miles E. of Lemberg. 



SELOGOORAR, a town of Hindooftan, in Berar ; 

 20 miles N. of Notchegong. 



SELOKOI, a town of Ruffia, in the government of To- 

 bollk. N. lat. 64° 8'. E. long. 76° 14'. 



SELOMMES, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Loire and Cher, and chief place of a canton, in the 

 diftrift of Vendome ; 6 miles S.E. of Vendome. The 

 place contains 652, and the canton 4396 inhabitants, on a 

 territory of 215 kiliometres, in 16 communes. 



SELON, a town of Hindooftan, in the Carnatic ; 10 

 miles S.W. of Tiagar. 



SELONDA, a fmall ifland in the Eaft Indian fea, near 

 the N. coaft of Cumbava. S. lat. 8° 5'. E. long. 1 17''34'. 



SELONGEY, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Cote d'Or, and chief place of a canton, in the diftrift 

 of Dijon ; 4 miles N. of Is fur Tille. The place contains 



1878, 



