Preamble.
Slaves disabled
to
Work, &c.
shall not be
set Free; but
supported by
their Owners
during Life.
No Slaves
shall be set
Free by any
verbal Order,
or Will, &c.
in the Owners
last Sickness.
Owners of
old or disabled
Slaves,
neglecting to
provide for
them, or suffering
them
to wander
about Begging.
may be
presented by
the Grand
Jury, |
WHEREAS sundry Persons of this Province have set disabled and
superannuated Slaves Free, who have either perished through
Want, or otherwise become a Burthen to others: And inasmuch
as giving Freedom to Slaves, by any Last Will and Testament, may be
attended
with many Evils; it is therefore humbly prayed that it may be Enacted;
II. And 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 it shall
not be lawful
for any Person or Persons within this Province, to give or grant Freedom
to
any Slave or Slaves disabled to Work, or gain a sufficient Livelihood
and
Maintainance; but that in all such Cases, any Master, Mistress, or
Owner of
such Slave or Slaves, at the proper Cost and Charge of such Master,
Mistress,
or other Person owning such Slave or Slaves, shall Support and Maintain
such
Slave or Slaves, during the natural Life or Lives of such Slave or
Slaves, in
Food and Cloathing fitting and needful for such Slave or Slaves, whereby
he,
she, or they may not become a Burthen to others, or Perish through
Want,
to the great Scandal of Christian Society.
III. And be it
further Enacted, That it shall not be lawful for any Person
or Persons within this Province, by any verbal Order, or by his, her, or
their Last Will and Testament, or by any other Instrument of Writing, in
his, her, or their last Sickness whereof he, she, or they shall Die, to
give
or grant Freedom to any Slave or Slaves: And if any Person or Persons,
after
the Time aforesaid, shall be any verbal Order, or by his, her, or their
Last
Will and Testament, or by any other Writing or Instrument, in his, her,
or
their last Sickness whereof he, she, or they shall Die, give Freedom to
any
Slave or Slaves, such Order, Will, or other Writing shall be void and
of no
Effect, so far as related to such Freedom or Manumission only.
IV. And be it
likewise Enacted, That if any Master, Mistress, or Owner or
Owners of any Slave or Slaves, grown old and incapable of Labour, or otherwise
disabled by Sickness or Accident, shall neglect to provide for such old
or
disabled Slave necessary Food and Cloathing, or shall suffer any Slave
or Slaves
whatsoever to depart from his, her, or their respective Habitation or Quarter,
or to wander about Begging, whereby such Slave or Slaves may become Burthensome
to the Neighbourhood wherein they have resided, or others, it shall
and may be lawful for the County Court where such Master, Mistress, Owner
or Owners of such Slave or Slaves shall reside, upon Presentment of the |
