An Act to regulate the manumitting of Slaves in this Island; to impose a tax upon manumissions, and to impose a tax upon all free and manumitted persons coming to this Island.

WHEREAS the Act of this Island, intituled, “An Act to impose a further tax on the manumission of slaves in this Island, and for other purposes,” has been found inadequate to the purposes for which it was passed, and the provisions thereof have been evaded, to the great detriment of the revenue of this island, we therefore your Majesty’s dutiful and loyal subjects the lieutenant-governor, council and assembly of this your Majesty’s Island of Dominica, humble pray your most excellent Majesty that it may be enacted and ordained;

Clause 1st. And be it and it is hereby enacted by the authority aforesaid, That on the manumitting of all slaves born in this Island, or originally imported into this Island from the coast of Africa, or who shall have been imported into the same under the age of ten years, there shall be paid into the public treasury of this Island, the sum of sixteen pounds ten shillings current money, and the treasurer, on payment thereof, shall sign a receipt at the foot of the instrument manumitting the same; and on the manumission of all other slaves not born in this Island, or not imported as above mentioned, there shall be paid the sum of thirty-three pounds in the manner and form above prescribed.

Clause 2d. And be it and it is hereby enacted by the authority aforesaid, That without such treasurer’s receipt for the payment of the tax hereby imposed, the register shall not receive any such manumission to be recorded, nor shall such manumission be deemed good or effectual to manumit any slave or slaves: And in order to ascertain such slaves as may be born in this Island, or originally imported into the same, or who may have been imported under the age of ten years,

Clause 3d. Be it and it is hereby enacted by the authority aforesaid, That there shall be annexed to the said manumission the following affidavit; “I, A.B. make oath, that the slave or slaves mentioned to be manumitted by me, is or are a native of this Island, or originally imported into this Island from the coast of Africa, or was or were imported into the same under the age of ten years, as the case may be;” [2] which oath any of the justice of the court of common pleas of the said Island, the register or the deputy register, are hereby authorized and empowered to administer, and for administering the same they shall be entitled to receive from the party making such affidavit, the sum of six shillings current money of the said Island. 

Clause 4th. And be it and it is hereby enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no person of colour coming from another Island or colony to this Island, shall be entitled to the privileges of free or manumitted persons, until the person so coming shall pay a tax of thirty-three shillings into the public treasury of this Island (for which the treasurer shall give a receipt) and shall record his or her manumission, or an authenticated copy thereof, certified under the hand of the secretary of the Island where such manumission shall have been recorded: provided always, that any person who shall have been born free and shall come to this Island, shall lodge, to be recorded in this Island, a certificate under the hand and seal of the governor or commander in chief, or chief magistrate of the Island or colony where such person or persons shall have been born, or where such person shall have last resided, purporting that such person is free, and in default thereof, is such person or persons shall produce two or more credible witnesses before one of the justice of the court of common pleas of the said Island, or the register or his deputy, who shall make oath that they have known the said person for the period of five years, and that during that period he or she has passed as a free person, or that the said person was born free, and the place of his or her nativity, then all such persons paying a tax of thirty-three shillings into the public treasury of this Island, shall be entitled to the rights and privileges of free persons of colour, as enjoyed by them in this Island.

Clause 5th. And be it and it is hereby enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the Act, intituled, “An Act to impose a further tax on the manumission of slaves in this Island, and for other purposes,” shall be and the same is hereby repealed.

Jno Hy Hobson, Speaker.

Passed the House of Assembly, this thirteenth day of May one thousand eight hundred and ten. 

Edwd H. Beech, Clk. of the Assembly.

Passed the Council, this sixth day of June one thousand eight hundred and ten.

E.G. Armatrading, Actg Clerk of the Council.

Assented to, this fifteenth day of June one thousand eight hundred and ten.

Edward (Great Seal.) Barnes.

Duly published in the Town of Roseau, this fifteenth day of June one thousand eight hundred and ten.

James Laing, P.M.

Recorded the 16th day of June one thousand eight hundred and ten.

(A true Copy.)                    Danl Constable, Actg [Regr].