CHAP.
XV.
May press
Assistance.
Penalty on
White Persons
refusing
to aid.
On Slaves
belonging to
the Plantation.
Allowance to
such Constables.
A Slave striking
a White
Person shall
have an Ear
cropt.
Persons may
warn strange
Slaves to be
gone from off
their Plantations,
and
whip them
on Refusal.
Penalty on
Persons encouraging
Slaves to
meet on their
Plantations.
Penalty on
Owners suffering
Slaves
to keep Horses,
&c.
Runaway,
Out-lying
Slaves resisting,
may be
shot or destroyed.
The Sheriff to
read this Act
every County
Court, |
to require as may Persons as may be necessary, to repair with him to
such
Places, and that every Person that shall be so required, and shall refuse,
shall
forfeit One Hundred Pounds of Tobacco, to be recovered and applied as hereafter
expressed; and all White persons (being Free) that shall be present,
shall aid and assist such Constable, on Pain of forfeiting One Hundred
Pounds
of Tobacco to the Lord Proprietor, one Half to the Use of the County, and
the other to the Informer, on being convict by the Oath of the Constable,
or other lawful Witness, or Confession of the Party before any Magistrate;
and
that all Negroes and other Slaves, belonging to the Owner of the Place
where
such Assembly shall be, if required, shall aid and assist the Constable
in putting
this Act in Execution, on Pain of being Whipped each of them with
Thirty-nine Stripes on the bare Back.
IV. And
be it Enacted, That every Constable
that shall be appointed to
put this Act in Execution, shall
be allowed Five Hundred Pounds of Tobacco
in the County Levy: And if it shall so happen at any Time, that any
Negro or other Slave, shall Strike any White Person, it shall and may be
lawful
upon Proof made thereof, either by the Oath of the party so struck, or
otherwise, before any Justice of the Peace, for such justice to cause one
of the
Negro's or other Slave's Ears so offending, to be cropt.
V.
And be it likewise Enacted, That
the Owner of any Plantation or
Plantations, that shall at any Time discover any strange Negro or other
Slaves
upon any of their Plantations, unless they are sent by their Owners on
lawful
Occasions, and shall warn such Negroes
or other Slaves, to be gone Home
to their Masters or Owners, any Negroes or other Slaves refusing or delaying
so to do, it shall and may be lawful for the Owner of such Plantation to
correct such Negro by Whipping, not exceeding Thirty-nine Lashes.
And
any Person that shall wittingly encourage any Negro or other Slaves, to
meet
in Companies on their Plantations, unless on lawful Occasions, shall forfeit
and pay for every such Offence, One Thousand Pounds of Tobacco, to the
Use aforesaid, to be recovered as aforesaid.
VI.
And be it further Enacted, by
the Authority, Advice and Consent aforesaid,
That any ,master or Owner of any Negro or other Slaves, that shall
suffer
any such Slaves to them belonging, to keep any Horses or Mares, or to
raise any Cattle or Hogs, as the proper Right of such Slaves, the Master
or
Owner of such Slaves, shall forfeit and pay Five Hundred Pounds of Tobacco,
to be recovered and applied as aforesaid; and also all such Horses and
Mares, Cattle and Hogs, shall likewise be forfeited, one Half to the Informer,
the other Half to be applied as aforesaid.
VII. And
be it further Enacted, by
the Authority aforesaid, by and with the
Advice and Consent aforesaid, That
whereas many Negroes and other Slaves,
absent themselves from their Masters Service, and run out into the Woods,
and there remain killing and destroying of Hogs and Cattle belonging unto
the People of this Province; if that such Negro or Negroes, or other Slaves
so out-lying as aforesaid, shall refuse to surrender themselves, making
Resistance
against such Persons as pursue to apprehend and take them up, being
thereunto legally impowered, it shall be lawful to and for such Pursuers,
upon
such Resistance made, to f shoot, kill and destroy
such Negro or Negroes, or
other Slave as aforesaid.
f By 1751,
ch. 14, §. 9, Persons so killing any Slave, are indemnified
from Prosecution; the
Slave so killed is to be valued, and the Value paid to the Owner. And by
1753, ch. 26, Persons
so killing any Slave, shall undergo a Trial, but on pleading the General
Issue, and Acquittal
thereon, the Public shall pay the Costs of the Prosecution.
VIII. This
Act to be Read at every County Court by the Sheriff, or his
Deputy, on Pain of forfeiting Five Hundred Pounds of Tobacco for every
Omission, to the Lord Proprietor; one Half to the Use of the County where |
