812 SOMERSET COUNTY. [ART. 19.

NEGROES AND SLAVES.

81. The constables of said county shall arrest and bring
before a justice of the peace any slave who may be going at
large and hiring himself, within their respective districts, and
who may not have a fixed home in the family or on the estate
of his owner, or be hired to and in the regular employ of another
person, by virtue of a contract in writing with his owner.

82. If, upon such slave being brought before him, the justice
shall be satisfied that he was going at large, contrary to law,
he shall issue an order to the constable to hire such slave for the
entire residue of the year in which he was arrested.

83. The several constables shall keep an account of the slaves
by them hired out, and the amount of hire received for each,
and submit such account, and pay such money to the county
commissioners of said county for the use of the county.

84. The county commissioners shall allow the justice before
whom any slave may be taken, twenty-five cents, and to the
constable two dollars, for every slave taken up and hired out;

but in no instance shall the allowance to a constable exceed
two-thirds of the amount paid over to the county commis-
sioners.

85. Any constable who shall refuse or neglect to perform the
duty imposed on him by section 81 of this article, shall be
subject to a fine of not less than three dollars, to be recovered
by indictment in the Circuit Court for said county.

86. No slave being a pilot and hiring himself as such shall be
subject to the provisions of section 81 of this article, nor shall
other slaves be arrested thereunder during twenty days in the
time of harvest.

87. The clerk of the Circuit Court for said county shall not
grant license to any free negro to sell merchandise in said county,
except by the special order of said court, to be passed, on the
recommendation of not less than twelve respectable freeholders
of the neighborhood in which such negro proposes to carry on his
business, and no license to any free negro shall authorize the sale
of ardent spirits.