An Act for laying a duty of Negroes and other Slaves imported to this Island.

Be it enacted by his Excellency, Sir Bevill Granville, Knight, Major General of Her Majesty's Armies, Captain General and Governor in chief, in and over the Islands of Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominico, St. Vincent, and the rest of the Islands, Colonies and Plantations in America, commonly called and known by the name of the Caribbee-Islands, lying and being to [164] windward of Guadaloupe, the Honourable the Council, and General Assembly of this Island, and by the Authority of the same, that from immediately after the publication of this Act, for all Negroes and other Slaves that shall be imported to this Island and landed here, an Imposition or Duty shall be paid after the rate, and in such manner as in this Act is expressed, viz. that the Merchant or Merchants, or any other person or persons, to whom any Negroes or other Slaves shall be brought or consigned, or who are any ways impowered to sell the same shall, within thirty days next after such importation and landing, pay unto the Treasurer of this Island for the time being, five shillings current money of this Island, for each and every Negro or other Slave, whether Male or Female, old or young, that shall hereafter be imported and landed; and in case the said duty shall not be fully paid within the time hereby limited for the payment thereof, the person or persons, neglecting to pay the same, shall forfeit double the sum of money that shall happen to be behind and unpaid.

(Clause II.) And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that for the future, no Master, or Commander of any Ship or Vessel, Merchant or Mariner, or any other person or persons whatsoever arriving to this Island, and importing Negroes or other Slaves, shall be permitted to trade or barter within this Island, with, or for such Negroes or Slaves, or any of them; or to land any of the said Negroes, or Slaves before such time as the Master, or Purser of the Ship or Vessel, wherein the said Negroes or Slaves are imported, shall have made oath before the Treasurer of this Island, or the Comptroller of the duty of Excise for the time being, (who are hereby severally impowered and authorized to administer such oath) of the true number of the Negroes and Slaves that are imported in the said Ship or Vessel, either by Bill of Lading, or otherwise; and in case any person or persons, shall offend herein, he, or they shall forfeit ten shillings current money of this Island, for each and every Negro or other Slave, by such offender or offenders, imported to this Island; and in case any Master or Purser, shall give in a false or short number of the Negroes or Slaves, impoted [sic] in his said Ship or Vessel, he shall forfeit ten shillings current money of this Island, for each and every Negro or other Slave that is, or are imported in the said Ship or Vessel, over and above the number by him given in.

(Clause III.) And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That in case any person or persons, shall presume to land privately or otherwise, any Negro or Negroes, Slave or Slaves, before oath shall be made in manner aforesaid, the said Negro or Negroes, Slave or Slaves so landed, may be lawfully seized by any person, or persons whatsoever, and the full value of such Negro or Negroes, Slave or Slaves, shall be forfeited; to be recovered against the person or persons, in whole possession the said Negro or Negroes, Slave or Slaves shall be found, by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, or Information in Her Majesty's Court of Exchequer, or in the Court of Common-pleas for the Precinct where such seizure shall be made, at the election of the Informer; and the said Action, Bill, Plaint, or Information shall be pleaded to, and tried the very first Court after the same is filed, and the Defendant or Defendants duly served therewith. And the Treasurer of this Island for the time being, is hereby impowered and required to issue Execution or Executions, against all and every person and persons, that shall make default of payment of the aforesaid duty in and by this Act appointed; as also for the several forfeitures above-mentioned, (except only the full value of Negroes and Slaves that are landed before oath made in manner aforesaid) the said Execution or Executions to be directed [165] to any Constable or Constables, who are hereby impowered and required to proceed thereon, in all things in such manner as by the Laws of this Island, in the case of Servants Wages, is directed and appointed.

(Clause IV.) And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that the Treasurer shall and may retain, to his own and proper use, three pounds current money of this Island, per Cent, for his care and trouble in receiving any paying the monies hereby to be raised; and in case he shall neglect to procced [sic] against all persons who shall become Debtors by this Act, according to the powers herein given him, by means whereof any arrearages shall remain six months after that the same ought to be paid, all such persons as are then in arrear, shall stand discharged, and the Treasurer shall thenceforth be charged with the same.

(Clause V.) And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that the several sums of Money which shall be raised by Virtue of this Act, and one half of the several Forfeitures aforesaid, shall be to Her Majesty, her Heirs and Successors, to the uses and purposes herein after declared, that is to say, for the payment of the Public Debts of this Island, and the overplus, if any, to be applied to the defraying of the growing charges of this Island; and the other half of all the said Forfeitures to be to the Informer.

Passed the 28th day of November, 1705