An Act to revive, for a limited Time, a certain Act of this Island, intituled, “An Act for the suppressing of Runaway Slaves, and for the better Government of Slaves, and for preventing Slaves from being fraudulently carried off this Island; and for enabling the Commander in Chief, or President of the Council (for the Time being) to send out Detachments of Free Mulattoes, Free Negroes, and other Free Persons, being Male Descendants of Negroes, in Pursuit of Runaway Slaves

WHEREAS an Act, intituled, “An Act to revive, for a limited Time, a certain Act of this Island, intituled An Act for the suppressing of Runaway Slaves, and for the better Government of Slaves, and for preventing Slaves from being fraudulently carried off this Island; and for enabling the Commander in Chief, or President of the Council (for the Time being) to send out Detachments of Free Mulattoes, Free Negroes, and other Free Persons, being Male Descendants of Negroes, in Pursuit of Runaway Slaves,” is expired: And whereas it is expedient to revive the said Act, intituled, “An Act for the suppressing of Runaway Slaves, and for the better Government of Slaves, and for preventing Slaves from being fraudulently carried off this Island; and for enabling the Commander in Chief, or President of the Council (for the Time being) to send out Detachments of Free Mulattoes, Free Negroes, and other Free Persons, being Male Descendants of Negroes, in Pursuit of Runaway Slaves:” We therefore, Your Majesty’s loyal, dutiful, and obedient Subjects, the Governor in Chief, the Council, and Assembly, of this Your Majesty’s Island of Dominica, pray Your Most Excellent Majesty, That it may be Enacted and Ordained.

[Clause I.] And be it, and it is hereby Enacted and Ordained by the Authority aforesaid, That the said last-recited Act be and the same is hereby revived, and the same shall be and continue in Force for the Space of One Year from and after the Publication of this Act, and from thence till Thirty Days after the then next Meeting of the Council and Assembly of this island.

[Clause II.] And be it, and it is hereby Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all Acts and Proceedings whatsoever, done and had in Conformity to the said recited Acts, between the Expiration thereof and the Publication of this Act, shall be of the same validity and as justifiable as the same Acts and Proceedings would have been if the said recited Act had not expired before the Publication of this Act: Provided always nevertheless, that nothing in the said hereby-revived Acts shall be construed to invalidate any Thing contained in an Act of this Island lately passed, intituled, “An Act for the more effectually supressing the Runaway Slaves, by obliging the Proprietors, Renters, or Employers of all Slaves belonging to or employed on the several Plantations or Lands in this Island, to furnish a Proportion of their Slaves to be sent out into the Woods, after and in Pursuit of the Runaways; to provide Officers for such Parties, by engaging such proper White persons and People of Colour as may be disposed to be employed; and for granting further Encouragement for the apprehending and destroying of any of the Runaways; and to impower Magistrates to issue Warrants for the searching and examining of any Boats or Petiaugres which may be at Anchor in any of the Bays, or hovering on the Coasts of this Island, suspected of holding Communication with the Runaway Slaves.

Passed the House of Assembly this Fifteenth Day of November, in the Year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Eighty-five.

PETER GRAHAME, Clerk of the Assembly. THOS BEECH, Speaker. 

Passed the Council in the Council Chamber, this Sixteenth Day of November, in the Year of our Lord One thousand Seven hundred and Eighty-five.

GRIFFIN CURTIS, Clerk of the Council.

Assented to this Twenty-fourth Day of November, in the Year of our Lord Christ One thousand Seven hundred and Eighty-five, and in the Twenty-sixth Year of His Majesty’s Reign.

Duly published in the Town of Roseau, this Twenty-fourth Day of November, One thousand Seven hundred and Eighty-five, and in the Twenty-sixth Year of His Majesty’s Reign.

J. ORDE. (SEAL.) WM PAGAN, Dep. Pro. Marshal.

Recorded and examined, 24th November, 1785.