WILLIAM GRASON, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR.

1839.

SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That the justices of any
magistrates' courts in the several counties of this State,

mulattoes, male or female, are residing within the juris-
diction or county in which said magistrates' court or or-
phans' court are situated, without visible means of sup-
port, shall have power to direct the sheriff or any consta-
ble of said county, to bring before the said magistrates'
court or orphans' court, as the case may be, such free

CHAP. 38.
Magistrates' ct.
to have arrest-
ed negroes who

have no means

of support.

negro or negroes, mulatto or mulattoes, and to summon
all necessary witnesses to enquire into the condition and
habits of such negro or negroes, mulatto or mulattoes;

Witnesses to be

summoned.

and if upon examination, the justices of the said magis-
trates' court or orphans' court, as the case may be, shall
be of the opinion that the said free negro or negroes, mu-
latto or mulattoes, have not the necessary means of sup-
port, and are not of good and industrious habits, then
they shall issue an order in writing, directed to the sheriff
or any constable of the county, requiring the said sheriff
or constable to proceed forthwith to sell the said negro or
negroes, mulatto or mulattoes, at public sale, to the high-
est bidder, to serve in the capacity of a slave for and
during the year in which said sale shall be made, first

To sell at pub-
lic sale.

giving ten days public notice of such sale; provided, that
nothing in this section contained shall go into effect until
the first day of January next; and provided also, that
every purchaser of any free negro or negroes, mulatto or
mulattoes, by virtue of this act, shall, in addition to the
price paid by him for such free negro or negroes, mulatto
or mulattoes, find him, her or them during the term for
which the said purchaser shall purchase him, her or them,
with good and sufficient food, lodging and clothing.

Provisoes.

SEC. 4. And be it enacted, That, if within ten days
from the end of the term for which any such negro or
negroes, mulatto or mulattoes shall have been sold by vir-
tue of the provisions of the third section of this act, he
or she shall not leave the State, or hire him or herself to
some respectable white person, to serve as a slave for the
following year, then he or she shall be again sold and dis-
posed of, as required and directed by the said third sec-
tion, and in like manner in each and every successive
year thereafter.

In case of ne-

glect to hire, &c.