WHEREAS an act entitled, An act for vesting runaway slaves, not claimed by the proprietors within a certain time, in his majesty, to be employed in the service of the public, passed in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty-seven, hath, from experience, been found injurious and expensive to the public, and by no means to answer the good purposes intended the service of his majesty: To remedy, therefore, the evils which flow from the said recited act, We, your majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the assembly of this your majesty's island of Jamaica, most humbly beseech your majesty that it may be enacted; Be it therefore enacted by the governor, council, and assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the said herein before-recited act, and every clause, matter, and thing, therein contained, be, and the same is hereby, annulled, repealed, and made void, to all intents and purposes whatsoever.
II. And whereas there are at this time several negro slaves employed in the service of the public, in consequence of the herein before-recited act, which said slaves do frequently absent themselves from the service of his majesty, and thereby annually entail a very heavy expence on the public for gaol fees, and other charges, which greatly exceed the value of their labour: Be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, That Exelbee Lawford, esquire, the receiver-general, or the receiver-general for the time being, shall, and he is hereby required and empowered, within sic months after the passing of this act, to collect all and every of the said slaves, by the said act vested in his majesty, and that are not at such time run-away, and expose them to sale, from time to time, as they shall come into his possession, not more than one in a lot, at public vendue, at the lower courthouse in the town of Kingston, between the hours of ten and twelve in the forenoon, to the highest and best bidder: And the captains or commanding officers of the several forts, fortifications, and barracks, throughout this island, and all other persons whatsoever, are hereby required to deliver over to the said receiver-general, or the receiver-general for the time being, all such slaves belonging to his majesty as they may now, or at any time hereafter, have in their power, custody, or possession, for the purpose aforementioned: And the receiver-general is hereby directed to advertise the sale of such negroes, in each of the news-papers of this island, in the manner herein after directed, for the space of one month at the least preceding such day of sale:
Receiver-general's office, (the date)
NOTICE is hereby given, that there will be exposed to sale, at public vendue, to the highest and best bidder, on the [blank] day of [blank], [blank] negro men, [blank] negro women, slaves, and children, agreeable to a law of this island.
III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the money to arise from such sale or sales, after deducting the charge and expence of gaol fees, and the charges of advertising the commissions on the sale, shall be to his majesty, his heirs and successors, for and towards the support of the government of this island, and the contingent charges thereof.
