ART. 66.] NEGROES. 465

cates of the magistrate, or written authority, in his defence, or
account for its loss and contents either by his own oath or some
competent witness.

75. No retailer, ordinary keeper, or other person, shall sell any
ardent spirits, gunpowder, shot or lead, to any free negro, unless
such free negro shall produce a certificate in the nature of a
license or permit from a justice of the peace in the county in
which such free negro may reside, directed to the person so
selling the same; and any person so offending shall, for each
offence, be subject to the penalty of five dollars, to be applied as
directed in the preceding section.

CONTRACTS or HIRE BY FREE NEGROES.

76. If any free negro shall hire himself to any person, and
shall leave the service of his employer before the time the hiring
is to terminate, without reasonable and proper cause, he shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and dealt with as herein
directed.

77. On the application of the employer to any justice of the
peace, he shall issue a warrant to any constable of the county in
the name of the State, for the apprehension of such free negro,
returnable on or before a day to bo therein named, and the con-
stable shall forthwith arrest such negro, and give immediate
notice to the employer and the said justice; or in case of his
absence, resignation, or death, any other justice convenient to
the parties shall hear and decide the complaint as other cases
are tried before justices.

78. If the judgment of the justice shall be in favor of the
State, it shall be that the said negro shall serve such employer
for the residue of the time agreed upon between them, and that
the costs and expenses shall be paid by said negro, and that the
lost time shall be deducted from the wages agreed upon, and that
such costs and expenses, and allowance for lost time, shall be a
lien on the wages, and shall be retained thereout.

79. On the hearing before such justice, the oath of the
employer to the contract, and the evidence of some other person
that the negro acted and engaged in such service, shall be taken
as prima facie evidence of the contract.
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