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Juftices, on
petition, may
inquire, &c.
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VII. And, whereas by reafon of the inaccuracy of apprentices contracts, dif-
putes frequently arife between the parties, Be it enacted, That the juftices of the
county or criminal courts, on the petition, in writing, of any mafter or miftrefs
of any apprentice fo as aforefaid bound out, fhall and may inquire into, hear and
determine, any and every difpute that may arife on any contract: or agreement fo as
aforefaid made; and if it fhall appear to the faid county or criminal court, that
the faid contract has been violated on the part of the mafter or miftrefs, or that
the complaint of fuch apprentice fo petitioning as aforefaid, is well founded, the
faid court may proceed to fine the faid mafter or miftrefs according to the offence;
a fum not exceeding ten pounds current money for the firft offence, for the fecond
offence any fum not exceeding twenty pounds current money; and the faid coun-
ty or criminal court may, in their discretion, difcharge any apprentice becaufe of
impofition, or of the ill behaviour of the mafter or miftrefs, or of the hardnefs
or unreafonablenefs of the terms of the contract, and fhall provide for the faid
apprentice a new mafter, of the fame trade or occupation with the firft, and if
the original contract was hard and unreafonable, fuch new contract fhall be made
as the court fhall direct; which new mafter fhall be bound to do and perform the
contract: in the fame manner that the original mafter ought to have done, and
fhall alfo pay unto the original mafter of faid apprentice fuch fum of money as
fhall be adjudged reafonable by any two or three perfons of the fame trade or oc-
cupation, to be appointed by the court before which court the change of the
mafter fhall be made; and the faid county or criminal court fhall and may, upon
the petition of the mafter or miftrefs as aforefaid, difcharge him or her from his
or her contract, becaufe of an incorrigible temper, or of the ill behaviour of the
apprentice; and in cafe the contract, whether defective in form or not, hath been
partly executed, the faid county or criminal court may award and compel the
terms, or any part of the terms, to be performed by the mafter or miftrefs, or by
the apprentice, as juftice and equity may require; and the mafter or miftrefs of
any apprentice may detain the faid apprentice in his or her fervice till fuch ap-
prentice is or fhall be difcharged by the court aforefaid; and the faid mafter or
miftrefs may maintain fuch action againft ftrangers, as if fuch apprentice had
been legally bound to ferve; and if an apprentice fhall abfcond or run away
from his mafter or miftrefs, or in any other way abfent himfelf from the
fervice of faid mafter or miftrefs, the court may, during the whole of the re-
mainder of the time which fuch apprentice hath to ferve, or at any time with-
in three years thereafter, award fuch compenfation to be made by fuch appren-
tice to his mafter or miftrefs aforefaid, either by fervice or by payment of mo-
ney, as juftice and equity may require, and may enforce payment of the mo-
ney fo awarded by an attachment of contempt againft his perfon, or fieri facias
againft his goods.
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Penalty on
perfons con-
cealing, &c.
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VIII. And be it enacted, That if any perfon or perfons fhall conceal, har-
bour, or in any way promote or facilitate the running away, of apprentices, he,
fhe or they, fhall be fubject to the fame fines and penalties as the harbourers of
fervants now are fubject to by the laws of this ftate.
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Juftice, on in-
formation,
may fummon
any matter,
&c.
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IX. And be it enacted, That any judge or juftice of the peace, when he fhall
receive good information, or upon his own obfervation of cruel or improper
ufage from any mafter or miftrefs before him, and may require and take a
recognizance of fuch mafter or miftrefs, with reafonable and proper fecu-
rity, to be forfeited in cafe the faid mafter or miftrefs fhall not appear at the
next county or criminal court, to anfwer and abide the determination of the faid
court upon any complaint that may be exhibited by fuch apprentice, or in default
thereof may take away fuch apprentice from his mafter or miftrefs, and place the
faid apprentice, fo cruelly ufed, under the care of fome other proper perfon, who
fhall be bound fo have the apprentice before the next county or criminal court,
to abide fuch determination as fhall be made.
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