AN ACT to repeal and amend certain Acts made for the government and protection of Slaves.

WHEREAS certain parts of the acts of this island passed for the governing of slaves have long since been and are now wholly and altogether obsolete, and of no force and effect; but whereas by reason of the many false accusations and wicked contrivances made and used by certain evil-disposed persons against the character and well-being of the British settlements in the West Indies, it is expedient to repeal by a positive enactment such parts of the said acts and statutes; [Clause 1] be it therefore enacted, by his Excellency the right honourable Stapleton Lord Combermere, Knight Grand Cross of the most honourable Military Order of the Bath, and of the Portuguese Royal Military Order of the Tower and Sword, His Majesty’s Captain-general and Governor-in-chief of this Island, Chancellor, Ordinary and Vice-admiral of the same, the honourable the Members of His Majesty’s Council, and the General Assembly of this island, and by the authority of the same, that the fifth clause of a certain act or statute of this island, intituled, “An Act for the governing of Negroes,” being number thirty-two in Hall’s Laws of Barbadoes, be and the same is hereby repealed and made void.

[Clause 2] And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that an act or statute of this island, intituled, “An additional Act to an Act, intituled, ‘An Act for the governing of Negroes,’” and which is mentioned as number ninety-two in Hall’s Laws of Barbadoes, shall be and the same is hereby repealed.

[Clause 3] And whereas doubts have arisen respecting the true construction, intent and meaning of a certain act which passed in the year one thousand eight hundred and five, and intituled, “An Act for the better protection of the Slaves of this Island;” be it therefore enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that the said act shall and the same is hereby declared to be null and void.

[Clause 4] And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that if any person shall hereafter wilfully and maliciously kill and murder any slave, whether such slave be the property of the person so killing and murdering, being duly convicted thereof by the evidence of one or more competent witness or witnesses, at a court of grand sessions, shall suffer death without benefit of clergy; provided nevertheless, that any person so convicted of such murder of a slave shall not thereby forfeit his lands, negroes, goods or chattels, any law to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding.

Read three times, and passed the Council unanimously, this twenty-eighth day of July one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.

W. Husbands, Deputy Clerk of the Council

Comberemere.

Read three times, and passed the General Assembly nemine contradicente, this twenty-eighth day of June one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.

Jn˚ William Edward Elder, Acting Clerk of the General Assembly.

Assented to by his Excellency the Governor, on the 29th day of July 1818.

William Husbands, Deputy Secretary.

A true copy from the Secretary’s office, attested this 2d day of March 1819.

William Husbands, Deputy Secretary.