Page:United States Reports, Volume 209.djvu/562

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OCTOBER TERM, 1907. not including any property, stocks or credits which were ob- tained or acquired by the Commonwealth after the date of the organisation of the restored government of Vir?'ni% to- gether with the nature and descriptio n thereof. The answers to these inquiries .to be without prejudice to any question in the canse. It is further ordered that the Commonwealth of Vir?'n/a and the State of West Virginia shall each, when required, produce before the master, upon ?th, all such recercts, books, papers and public documents as may be in their poncesion or under their conf?ol, knd which may, in his judgment, be pertinent to the said inquirie? and accounts, or any of them. And the master is authorized to make, or cause to be made, such examination as he may deem desirable of the books of account, vouchers , documents and public records of either State relating to the inquiries he is herein directed to make, and to cause copies thereof or extracts therefrom to be made for use in making up his report. An public records published by authority of the Common- wealth of V'n?'ni? prior to the seventeenth day of April, 1881, and all papers and documents and other matter constituting parts of the public fries and records of Virginia prior to th? date aforesaid, wMch in the judgment of the master may be relevant and pertinent to any of said inquiries, or copies thereof, if duly ?uthenticated, may be used in evidence and considered by the master, but all such evidence shall be subject to exceptions to its competency. The public acts and records of the two States sinf?e the admission of West Virginia into the Union shall be evidenbe, if pertinent and duly authenticated, but all such evi- dence tendered by either party skall be subject to proper legal exceptions to its competency. The master is empowered to summon any persons whnse testimony he or either party may deem to be material, and to cause their depositions to be taken before him, or by a notary public or other oi?cer authorized to take the same, after tea- sonable notice to the adverse party.