FORASMUCH as it appears to his General Assembly, to be a hardship
on the Importers of Servants and Slaves into this Province, to pay
Duty for such as shall happen to die, or be exported again before Sale;
Be it Enacted, by the Right
Honourable the Lord Proprietary, by and with the
Advice and Consent of his Lordship's Governor, and the Upper and
Lower Houses
of Assembly, and the authority of the same, That no Person or
Persons whatsoever,
hereafter Importing any Servants or Slaves, shall be chargeable with,
or liable to pay, any Duty for any Servant or Slave that shall happen
to Die,
or be Exported out of this Province, before Sale of the said Servant
or Slave.
II. Provided
always, That such Death or Exportation, shall happen
within Three Months after the Importation od such Servant or Slave;
and
that the said Person or Persons, who shall desire the Benefit of this
Act, shall
declare on his, her, or their corporal Oaths, to be administrated by
the Naval
Officer, ion the Holy Evangelists of Almighty GOD, That such Servant
or
Servants, Negro or Negroes, Exported or Dead, within the said Time
of
Three Months, is or are Part of the Servants or Negroes imported or
made
Entry of; any law, Usage, or Custom to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.
III. And whereas
divers Frauds have been committed buy sundry Persons
not Inhabitants of this Province, importing Negroes from Pennsylvania,
Virginia,
and other Provinces, who make Sale of the said Negroes without Payment
of the Duties arising on such Negroes: For Prevention whereof
for the
future; Be it Enacted, by the
Authority, Advice and Consent aforesaid,
That all
and every person or Persons, in whose Custody any Negro or Negroes
so imported
into this Province, shall be found, shall be deemed to be the Imported
or Importers, and liable to pay the Duties due by Law, to the Naval
Officers
of the District where the said Person or Persons reside, under the
Penalties by
former c Acts of ASsembly in such Cases
inflicted upon the Importer or Imported
of any Negro or Negroes concealed, kept back, or unaccounted for
by him, her, or them: To be recovered in the Manner, and to the
Uses,
directed by the aforesaid Acts of Assembly.
c 1715, ch. 36;
§. 8; and 1717, ch. 10, §. 3 and 4.
IV. And
for the more effectual discovery what Rum, Wine and Spirits,
by the before-mentioned Act liable to the payment of Duty, shall be
brought into this province; Be it Enacted,
by the Authority, Advice and
Consent aforesaid, That after the End of this Session of Assembly,
every Naval
Officer within this Province, before he shall make Entry of any such
Rum,
Wine, or Spirits,. shall require and receive, from the Person applying
to make
the said entry, an Invoice on oath, of the Quantity of gallons, which
the
Cask by him at that Time imported, gauge in Wine Gallons, together
with
the Marks and Numbers of such Cask. And in any person shall presume
to
land any such Rum, wine or Spirits, from on board any Ship or Vessel
within this province, or it be brought over Land from Pennsylvania,
or
Virginia,
shall let of be Water-born in Chesapeak Bay, or any the Branches
thereof,
before Invoice delivered, and entry made as aforesaid, shall forfeit
the
same, or the Value of it: The one Moiety thereof to the Right
Honourable
the lord Proprietary, his Heirs and Successors, for the Support of
Government;
and the other Moiety to him or them that will seize or sue for the
same; to be recovered in any Court of Record within this Province,
by Action |
Preamble.
No Duty to
be paid for
Slaves or Servants
Dying,
or Exported
before Sale,
if such Death
happen within
3 Months,
of which,
Oath to be
made.
Persons in
whose Custody
Negroes
from Pennsylvania,
Virginia,
7c. are
found, shall
be deemed
the Importers.
Entry of Liquors
liable
to Duty, shall
be made on
Oath with
the Naval
Officer.
Penalty for
landing such
Liquors, or
(if brought
by Land from
pennsylvania)
letting them
be Water-born
in the
Bay, before
Entry. |
