1842

FRANCIS THOMAS, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

CHAP. 279.

same is not intended for the sole use and benefit of the per-
son or persons applying for the same, under a penalty of
fifty dollars, to be recovered as small debts out of court,
one half to the use of the informer and the other half for
the use of the county.

Judges to ex-
amine parties
charged on
oath, &c.

SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That whenever any trader
or retailor shall he brought before any judge or court under
the provisions of the act passed March seventh, eighteen
hundred and forty-two, chapter two hundred and seventy
three, it shall be the duty of the judge or court in addition
to the other duty imposed on him or them by said act, to
examine by the oath of the party charged and any other
competent witness, brought before him or them, whether
the party charged was dealing on his own account or on
account of any other person or persons, and if the said
judge or court shall be satisfied that the said party has been
dealing on account of any other person or persons, it shall
be the duty of said judges or court to suspend the license of
such person or persons until the end of the county court of
said county, next succeeding said examination, and it shall
be the duty of said judge or court to report the facts and
circumstances to the next grand jury of the county, and re-
fer them to the third section of the act of December ses-
sion eighteen hundred and twenty-seven, chapter one hun-
dred and seventeen.

On conviction
of free negro,
to be sold out
of the state.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That if any free negro or
mulatto or any slave shall be convicted in any court of this
State of dealing in stolen goods, the said free negro or
mulatto or slave shall be sold out of the State if free; for a
term not more than ten, nor less than five years, and if a
slave, for life, and the amount of sale of any free negro or
mulatto shall go one half to the informer and the other
half to the county in which the offence was committed,
and if the party convicted be a slave the amount shall go
to the master, unless it shall appear to the court that said
slave has been guilty of so dealing with the knowledge of
his master, in which case the amount of sale shall go one
half to the informer, and the other half to the county, in
which said offence was committed.

No free negro
or mulatto to
return to the
state.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That no free negro or mu-
latto convicted and sold out of the state under the pro-
visions of this act, shall return to the state after the time for
which he has been sold.