Section XIV. Royal grants and charters preserved

Royal grants and charters preserved

All grants of land within this state, made by the King of Great Britain, or persons acting under his authority, after the fourteenth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, shall be null and void; but nothing contained in this Constitution shall affect any grants of land within this state, made by the authority of the said King, or his predecessors, or shall annul any charters to bodies politic and corporate, by him or them made, before that day; or shall affect any such grants or charters since made by this state, or by persons acting under its authority, or shall impair the obligation of any debts contracted by this state, or individuals, or bodies corporate, or any other rights of property, or any suits, actions, rights of action, or other proceedings in courts of justice.

AND BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, That all grants of lands within this state, made by the king of Great-Britain, or persons acting under his authority, after the fourteenth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, shall be null and void: But that nothing in this constitution contained shall be construed to affect any grants of land within this state, made by the authority of the said king or his predecessors, or to annul any charters to bodies politic by him or them, or any of them, made prior to that day. And that none of the said charters shall be adjudged to be void by reason of any non-user or misuser of any of their respective rights or privileges, between the nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, and the publication of this constitution. And further, That all such of the officers described in the said charters respectively, as by the terms of the said charters, were to be appointed by the governor of the colony of New-York, with or without the advice and consent of the council of the said king, in the said colony, shall henceforth be appointed by the council established by this constitution, for the appointment of officers in this state, until otherwise directed by the legislature.