272 Assembly Proceedings, March — April 1671.

Liber
W H& L

uince or of Brittish or Irish discent may any wayes Lawfully
doe Any law provisoes Act or Custome of this Prouince or
other thing whatsoever had made ordeined or done within
this Province to the Contrary thereof in any wayes Notwith-
standing.

An Act for the Encourageing the Importacon
of Negros and Slaues into this Province

Whereas Severall of the good people of this Prouince haue
been discouraged to import into or purchase within this Pro-
uince any Negroes or other Slaues and such as haue Imported
or purchased any such Negroes or Slaues haue to the great
displeasure of Almighty God and the prejudice of the Soules
of those poore people Neglected to instruct them in the Chris-
tian faith or to Endure or permitt them to Receive the holy
Sacrament of Babtisme for the Remission of their Sinns upon
a mistake and vngrounded apprehension that by becomeing
Christians they and the Issues of their bodies are actually
manumited and made free and discharged from their Servitude
and bondage be itt declared and Enacted by his Lordship the
Lord and Proprietary of this Prouince by and with the advice
and consent of the upper and lower houses of this present
Generall Assembly and by the Authority of the same That
where any Negro or Negroes Slave or Slaues being in Servi-
tude or bondage is are or shall become Christian or Christians
and hath or have Received or shall att any time Receive the
Holy Sacrament of Babtizme before or after his her or their
Importacon into this Prouince the same is not nor shall or ought
the same be denyed adjudged Construed or taken to be or to
amount vnto a manumicon or freeing Inlarging or discharging
any such Negroe or Negroes Slaue or Slaues or any his or their
Issue or Issues from his her their or any of their Servitude or
Servitudes Bondage or bondages Butt that Notwithstanding

p. 50

any such Act or thing Acts or things And Notwithstanding
any such becoming Christian or Christians or Receiveing the
Sacrament of Babtizme Every such Negroe and Negroes slaue
and slaues and all and every the Issue and Issues of every such
Negroe and Negroes Slaue and Slaues Is are and be and shall
att all tymes hereafter be adjudged Reputed deemed and taken
to be and Remayne in Servitude and Bondage and subject to
the same Servitude and Bondage to all intents and purposes
as if hee shee they every or any of them was or were in and
Subject vnto before such his her or their Becomeing Christian
or Christians or Receiveing of the Sacrament of Baptizme any
opinion or other matter or thing to the Contrary in any wise
Notwithstanding.