An additional act to amend the several acts for regulating the town of Wilmington, and to regulate and restrain the conduct of slaves and others in the said town, and in the towns of Washington, Edenton and Fayetteville.

And whereas it is customary for many persons, as well in the country as in the several towns in this state, to permit their slaves so to hire themselves out from day to day, by which great profits are acquired, and it is reasonable that those[?] persons who derive such advantages from the labour of their slaves in the towns should contribute more than the ordinary taxes towards its support, and at the same time that a distinction should be made between such slaves as may be returned[?] as taxable property in the said towns respectively, and such whose owners reside in the country, and return their taxable property there, although part of their slaves generally work in the towns. And whereas permitting slaves to hire themselves under proper restrictions and regulations, may be rendered convenient for such persons as may occasionally want daily labourers:

VI. Be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, that from and after the first day of May next, it shall not be lawful for any slave in the towns of Wilmington, Washington, Edenton, or Fayetteville, to hire her or himself out, without first producing a permission in writing from the owner, or other persons having the care or management of such slave, directed to the commissioners, trustees or directors of the two where such slave shall be; who thereupon shall cause the said permission to be entered by the town clerk in their books and filed, for which the owner of the slave shall pay a fee of one shilling; and the commissioners shall cause a leaden or pewter badge to be affixed to some conspicuous part of the outer garment of such slave with a device, which may be altered from time to time, expressive of the intention of such badge; and every slave having a badge in manner by this act directed, may hire him or herself our, and may be lawfully hired by any person or persons whatever.

VII. And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that for all slaves who shall have badges as above directed, and who shall be town taxable, there shall be paid as follows, to wit[?]: for every male slave being a tradesman there shall be paid yearly to the commissioners, trustees or directors the sum of sixteen shillings; for every male slave not being a tradesman the sum of ten shillings, and for every female slave the sum of eight shillings, but if any slave having such badges shall not be returned as town taxable, then there shall be paid for every male slave being a tradesman twenty four shillings; for every male slave not being a tradesman the sum of fifteen shillings, and for every female slave twelve shillings, to be applied as other taxes assessed and collected in the said towns.

And that the taxes upon slaves having badges may be more easily collected and all fraud and evasion prevented:

VIII. Be it enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that the taxes imposed by the act on slaves who shall be returned as town taxable, shall be paid and collected in the same manner as other town taxes; and that the taxes imposed on such slaves as may not be returned as town taxable, shall be paid or secured to be paid, to the satisfaction of the commissioners, trustees or directors, on or before the first day of July in every year, before any badge shall be by them granted as aforesaid.

And whereas there are many slaves in the said towns, who contrary to law have houses of their own, or are permitted to reside in the out-houses or kitchens of divers of the inhabitants, or in the houses of the free negroes, mulattoes, persons of mixed blood and others, and work and labour for themselves in several trades and occupations, stipulating to pay their owners such daily, weekly or monthly wages as shall be demanded of them; by reason of which robberies and frauds frequently happen, servants are corrupted, and the poor white inhabitants are deprived of the means of earning their subsistence by labour: for remedy whereof,

IX. Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no slave shall be permitted to exercise any trade or occupation in the said town respectively without a certificate from the owner, or other persons having the care or management thereof, directed as aforesaid, or without such badge as shall be given to slaves permitted to hired themselves; and all slaves permitted to exercise any trade or occupation as aforesaid, shall be subject to pay the same tax as slaves who are not returned as taxable property in the towns aforesaid, and to be paid or secured in manner as before directed. Provided always, that nothing herein contained, shall extend or be construed to extend to prohibit any person or persons residing in the said towns respectively, from hiring out their slaves, or in employing such slaves in exercising any trade or occupation under the immediate direction of their owners residing in the said town, so that such slave or slaves be not permitted to receive the wages contracted for, nor the value of any article manufactured or made, or the work and labour done, but in all such cases the owner or other person having the care of slaves, shall make the contract and receive the monies arising therefrom.

XII. And be it enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that if any slave permitted to hire him or herself out in manner by this act directed, should happen to be capitally convicted for any crime committed during the time that he or she shall have such permission, the owner of such slave shall not be allowed any compensation from the public or otherwise [?] the value thereof when executed.

XIII. And be it also enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that if any free persons of mixed blood, or any free negro, residing within any of the said towns, shall be convicted of any felonious crimes with slaves in the town where he or she shall so reside, or shall receive any goods from any slave or slaves without a ticket from his, her or their owner or other person having the care and management of such slave or slaves, or shall receive or harbour in his or her house or otherwise, any runaway or absconding slave or slaves, every such free person being a negro or of mixed blood as aforesaid, shall upon conviction, forfeit and pay to the commissioners, trustees or directors of the town in which he or she shall reside the sum of ten pounds, to be levied off his or her property seal or personal and applied to the stock of the town. Provided always, that if any such free person so convicted as aforesaid, shall upon such conviction signify his or her consent to remove from such town, and shall give security for such removal, within ten days thereafter; and also that he or she will not reside in such town or within ten miles thereof, for the space of seven years, then it shall and may be lawful for the commissioners, trustees or directors as the case may be to take such security payable to themselves and their successors in office, and upon breach of the condition to put the same in the suit and recover the penalty for the use of their town; and upon such bond being taken with security as aforesaid, the penalty upon conviction as before directed, shall be remitted to the offender, any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

And whereas the laws and regulations made to prevent dealing and trafficking with slaves, have been found insufficient to prevent that dangerous and pernicious practice:

XIV. Be it therefore enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that if any free person shall either buy from or sell to any slave or slaves, or barter with any slave or slaves, any kinds of goods or commodities whatsoever, or other thing without a permission in writing from the master, mistress or other person having the management if such slave or slaves, every such free person shall on conviction forfeit and pay the sum of ten pounds, to be levied of his or her property as other recoveries by law; and if the offender shall not have sufficient property to satisfy the judgement, then such offender shall be committed to close custody, and shall remain in prison without bail or mainprize for any time not exceeding three months.

XV. And it is hereby further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if any person or persons shall be convicted of entertaining any slave or slaves in his, her or their houses, or other place or places, in any manner whatsoever, for money or otherwise, every person convicted thereof shall forfeit and pay to the commissioners, trustees or directors of the town where such offence shall be committed, for the first offence ten pounds, for the second offence twenty pounds, and for the third offence shall be whipped publicly not exceeding thirty nine lashes, and shall thereby rendered infamous. Provided always, that when the offender shall be unable to pay the forfeiture, he or she may be whipped for the first or second offence or either of them.

And in order that persons dealing with slaves without permission as aforesaid, may be more easily convicted:

XVI. Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if any slave shall be seen going into any store or other house, and such slave shall carry into such store or house, any article or articles which may be supposed for sale, or any bottle, jug or other thing in which liquor may be conveyed, or shall bring out of such house or store anything which may be supposed to have been purchased therein, and such slave shall not have a badge as is herein before directed for slaves who may be permitted to follow some trade or occupation, and proof shall be made of the facts, the same shall be deemed sufficient to convict the offender, unless he or she can produce a permission as aforesaid in writing from the master, mistress or person having the management of such slave. Provided always, that nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent any slave or slaves from delivering to any person or persons residing in any of the said towns, any article of provisions or other thing which may be sent to any such person from their friends in the country or elsewhere, provided such slave has a written permission for so doing.