83. _Georgia._--For inflicting penalties on, and confiscating the estates of, such persons as are therein declared guilty of treason, &c. May 4, 1782. 84. To point out the mode for the recovery of property unlawfully acquired under the British usurpation, and withheld from the rightful owners, &c. February 17, 1783. 85. Releasing certain persons from their bargains, &c. July 29, 1783. 86. For ascertaining the rights of aliens, and pointing out a mode for the admission of citizens. February 7, 1785. 87. To authorize the auditor to liquidate the demands of such persons as have claims against the confiscated estates. February 22, 1785. 88. To compel the settlement of public accounts, for inflicting penalties, and for vesting auditor with certain powers. February 10, 1787.[43] Such is the array which illustrates the terrible earnestness of those times. In their struggle for National Independence, our fathers did not hesitate to employ all the acknowledged Rights of War; nor did they higgle over questions of form with regard to enemies in arms against them. To this extent, at least, we may be instructed by their example, even if we discard their precedents. In the negotiations for the acknowledgment of National Independence these Acts were much considered. It does not appear, however, that their legality was drawn into question, although, as is seen, they exercised the double rights of sovereignty and of war. The British Commissioner, Mr. Oswald, expresses himself, under date of November 4, 1782, as follows. “You may remember, that, from the very first beginning of our negotiation for settling a peace between Great Britain and America, I insisted that you should positively stipulate for the restoration of the property of all those persons, under the denomination of the Loyalists or Refugees, who have taken part with Great Britain in the present war: or, if the property had been resold, and passed into such a variety of hands as to render the restoration impracticable, (which you asserted to be the case in many instances,) you should stipulate for a compensation or indemnification to those persons adequate to their losses.”[44]