trust, or to give evidence against any white person, or shall be recorded
as competent
evidence to manumit any slave petitioning for freedom.
VI. And
be it enacted, That no person brought into this state from any of
the United States, who is bound to service for a term of years only
by the laws
of the state from which such person is brought, shall be considered
as a slave for
life in this state, but such person brought into this state shall serve
for the time
which the laws of the state from which such person is brought oblige
him or her
to serve, and no longer.
VII. And,
whereas negroes or other slaves may have been or may hereafter be
carried out of this state during the infancy, or without the knowledge,
authority
or consent, of the real owners or proprietors of the same, and it is
just and
reasonable that the said owners or proprietors should be permitted
to bring them
in again, Be it enacted,
That if any negro, or other slave, hath been or may
hereafter be carried out of this state by any executor, administrator
or guardian,
or by any other person or persons, during the infancy or without the
consent or
authority of the real owner or proprietors of such negro or other slave,
it shall
and may be lawful for such owner or proprietor, at any time hereafter,
to bring
the said negro, or other slave, into this state again, and to have
and enjoy the said
negro, or other slave, as his or her property.
VIII. And
be it enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for any citizen and
resident of this state, or in the right of his wife, in land lying
in any one of the adjoining
states, and the owner of any slave or slaves employed or worked on
the said land,
to remove and bring such slave or slaves within this state on the land
of such
owner, for the use and benefit of the owner, his or her legal representatives,
and
not for sale; provided such slave or slaves hath or have been residents
of some
one of the said adjoining states before the twenty-first day of April,
in the year
one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, or is or are the descendant
or descendants
of any slave, being residents as aforesaid; and provided also, that
a list
of such slave or slaves, containing their names, sexes and ages, be
delivered, in
writing, and signed by the owner, his overseer or agent, to the clerk
of the
county into which such slave or slaves shall be brought to reside,
within three
months thereafter, and the said list shall be recorded at the expence
of the owner
of such slave or slaves so brought into this state; in which a list
of negroes, so recorded,
if title to them be acquired by will, the testator's name, the date
of the
will, and the place where recorded, shall be inserted, and if the title
to them be
derived from marriage, the name of the married person from whom the
title is
derived shall likewise be inserted in said list, and the whole entered
on record.
IX. And
be it enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for any citizen and
resident of any adjoining state, being seized and possessed of an estate
of inheritance
in his own right, or the right of his wife, in land lying in this state,
and
the owner of any slave or slaves, residents of any adjoining state
before the twenty-first
day of April, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three,
or of the descendant or descendants of any slave, being resident as
aforesaid, to
remove and bring any such slave or slaves into this state, for the
purpose of employing
or working such slave or slaves on the land of such owner within this
state, for the use and benefit of the owners, his or her legal representatives,
and
not for sale; provided that a list of such slave or slaves be delivered,
in writing,
containing the names, sexes and ages, of said negroes, and signed by
the owner,
his overseer or agent, to the clerk of the county in which such slave
or slaves
shall be first brought to reside, within three months thereafter, and
the said list
shall contain a certificate as aforesaid, to be recorded at the expence
of the owner
of such slave or slaves so removed into this state.
X. And
be it enacted, That the power of removing slaves, as above allowed,
may be exercised as often as the owner or owners of such slaves shall
think proper,
on complying with the directions of this act. |
CHAP.
LXVII.
Persons not to
be considered
as slaves, &c.
Negroes, &c.
carried out
may be
brought back,
&c.
Citizens may
remove slaves,
&c.
Citizens of
adjoining
states may remove
their
slaves, &c.
As often as
they think
proper, &c. |
