Elected. By the General Assembly for a term of four years from the
first of March next succeeding election. Salary, $1,800. He is
also Superintendent of Public Buildings.

Duties. Shall issue grants to all purchasers of waste lands;
record all grants and patents, and furnish lists to the clerks of
the county and corporation courts; shall keep the records,
documents, and entries of Northern Neck Lands, and of lands
granted, or to be granted, by the Commonwealth; shall have care of
the public buildings and all other public property at the seat of
government not placed in charge of others; shall have control of
Capitol Square; shall try, prove, and seal weights and measures;
shall report semi-annually to the Auditor of Public Accounts.

The land office is the office in which business connected with the
sale or granting of public lands is conducted. This business is
under the control of an officer called the register of the land
office, and public buildings in the State are under his care. He
is also superintendent of weights and measures. At his office are
kept weights and measures, provided by the State, to be furnished
to counties and corporations as standards by which the weights and
measures in business use throughout the State are tested. The
State weights and measures are tried by the register once every
ten years, and when proved to be correct are marked with a seal.
In every county there is a sealer of weights and measures, who
must examine, once every three years, the weights and measures in
use throughout the county, to see that they are up to the
standard.

A patent is a government paper granting to some person or persons