552 Assembly Proceedings, June 29-July 22, 1699.

Lib. L. L.

and other Slaves allready Imported or hereafter to be Im-
ported into this Province and also all Children now borne or
hereafter to be borne of Such Negros or Slaves shall be Slaves
dureing their Naturall lives And be it further Enacted by the
Authority aforesaid that any white woman either free or a
Servant that shall Suffer herselfe to be begott with Child by a
Negro or other Slave or ffree Negroe such woman so begott
with Child as aforesaid if free shall become a Servant for and

p. 326

dureing the terme of Seaven Years if a Servant shall finish the
time of Servitude together with the Damage that shall Accrue
to such persons to whom she is a Servant by Occasion of any
Child or Children begotten as aforesaid in the time of her
Servitude and after Such Satisfaction made shall again become
a Servant for and dureing the terme of Seaven Years afore-
said and if such Negro begotter of any Such Child as afore-
said be a free Negro he shall become a Servant for and dure-
ing the terme of Seaven Years af^d to be adjudged by the Jus-
tices of the County Court where Such fact is Cornitted accord-
ing to this Law in the Clause made and Provided against Such
Servants as have Bastards and the issues or Children of any
Such unnaturall and inordinate Copulations shall be Servants
untill they Arrive att the Age of Thirty one Years. And any
White man that shall begett any Negro woman with Child
whether ffreeman or Servant shall undergo the Same Penaltys
as white women all which times of Servitude by this Act Im-
posed on any the persons issue or Children of Such inordinate
Copulations shall be taken Care of by the Justices of Each
respective County within this Province and such Servitude to
be disposed of or Imployed as the Justices of such County
shall think fitt the Produce thereof shall be Appropriated
towards the Relief of the Poor And be it further Enacted by
the Authority aforesaid that every Serv' Woman haveing a
Bastard Child and not able Sufficiently to prove the party
Charged to be the begotter of Such Child in every Such Case
the mother of such Child shall onely be lyable to Satisfy the

p. 327

Damage soe Susteined by Servitude or otherwise as the Court
before whom such Matter is brought shall see Convenient Pro-
vided that where the mother of any such Child as aforesaid
shall be able to prove her Charge by Sufficient Testimony of
Wittnesses Confession of the party Charged or pregnant Cir-
cumstances agreeing with her Declaration in her Extremity of
her pains or throes of Travell and her oath taken by some
Magistrate before the time of her delivery of every such
Bastard Child or after her delivery then the Party Charged if
a Servant to Satisfy halfe the said Damage if a freeman then
the whole Damage by Servitude or otherwise as the Court
before whom such Matter is brought as aforesaid shall think