Full Transcript
FOR AS MUCT as there hath been of late made several indirect Bargains with Servants and Slaves, whereby some evil disposed People have adventured privately to embezzle, waste, sell and destroy divers Goods and Commodities to the Impoverishing of the Masters, and the Nourishing and Increasing of Vice; for the Prevention whereof for the Future, and for the Rectifying divers other Disorders and Enormities, and that the more Civilized may not be induced to the same, Be it therefore Enacted by his Excellency William Earl of Craven, Palatine, and the rest of the true and absolute Lords and Proprietors of this Province, by and with the Advice and Consent of the rest of the Members of the General Assembly now met at Charles-Towne for the South-West Part of this Province, And it is Enacted by the Authority of the same, That, &c.
Part of * 1, relating to Servants, Repealed. See No. 403, *24.
II. And it is likewise Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Free-Man or Free-Woman at any Time as aforesaid, shall buy, sell, bargain, contract, barter or exchange any Manner of Goods and Commodities whatsoever, to, for, or with any Servant or Servants, (a) Slave or Slaves, without the Privity or Consent of their Master, Mistress or Overseers, he, she, or they so offending as aforesaid, shall satisfy and pay (b) Ten Times the Value of such Goods and Commodities so bought and sold as aforesaid, to he, she, or they shall sue for the same, and every Part and Parcel of the said Goods and Commodities so bought as aforesaid, shall be returned and delivered to the Owner or Owners of such Goods so sold and bought as aforesaid, and every such Slave or Slaves, so Buying, Selling, or Exchanging as aforesaid, shall (being duly convicted thereof) suffer and abide such Punishment (not extending to taking away of Life and Limb) as any two Justices of the Peace shall think fit to inflict.
III. IV. V. VI. VII. All relating to Servants, Repealed. See No. 403, * 24.
VIII. And it is likewise Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all Fines and Forfeitures under Forty Shillings, that shall accrue and become due by this Act, shall be impleaded, prosecuted, adjudged, levied and distrained as the Act (c) of small and mean Causes in such Cases direct; and all other Fines, Forfeitures and Amerciaments above the Value aforesaid, shall be sued for, impleaded, prosecuted and recovered in any Court of this Province, wherein no Essoin or Wager of Law shall be allowed or admitted of.
IX. And be it further Enacted, That this Act and every Thing therein contained, do continue in Force five Years and no longer.
Read three Times, and
Ratified in open Assembly,
March 16, 1695-6.
John Archdale, (L.S.)
Joseph Blake, (L.S.)
Joseph Morton, (L.S.)
Stephen Bull, (L.S.)
Thomas Cary, (L.S.)
James More, (L.S.)
John Beresford, (L.S.)
William Hawett. (L.S.)