An act to explain and amend part of an act entitled “An act to encourage colonel Cudjoe and captain Quao, and the several negroes under their command in Trelawny and Crawford Towns, and all other towns of rebellious negroes who submitted to terms, to pursue and take up runaway slaves, and such negroes as continue in rebellion; and for remedying some inconveniences in the laws already made for that purpose

 

Enacts, Clause 1.--- “That, from and after the first day of March, which shall be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy, all runaway slaves, who shall be taken by any wild negro or negroes, shall be by him or them conveyed, within five days, to the next magistrate in the parish where such runaway slave or slaves shall be taken; which said magistrate is hereby authorized to determine how much mile-money the wild negro or negroes taking up such runaways shall be intitled to, and grant a certificate thereof, as is herein after directed; and, instead of the reward of three pounds, directed to be paid by the above-recited act, for every runaway slave or slaves delivered to said magistrate by any wild negro or negroes, such wild negro or negroes shall be only intitled to two pounds, or such part thereof as to the same magistrate shall seem meet, with mile-money, at the rate of seven pence halfpenny per mile, from the place where the said runaways appear to the said magistrate to have been taken, to the place where the said magistrate may be when such runaway slave or slaves shall be produced to him; which said reward and mile-money shall be certified, under the hand of the magistrate, to the owner or owners of such runaway slave or slaves, if the said magistrate shall know him, her, or them: And the said owner or owners, upon such certificate being produced, is hereby obliged to pay to such wild negro or negroes the money therein specified, with mile-money, at the rate of seven pence halfpenny per mile, from the place of residence of the said owner or owners, or settlement to which said runaway slave or slaves may belong; and every owner or owners, who shall neglect or refuse to pay the same, shall incur the penalty of double the sum such wild negro or negroes shall be so entitled to, for every such neglect or refusal: And, the better to prevent any dispute, which may arise between such or owners and such wild negro or negroes, about the payment of said reward and mile-money, herein before directed to be paid to said wild negro or negroes, such owner or owners, or other person or persons liable to pay the same, are hereby directed obliged, and required, to make payment thereof in the presence of some white person, who is to certify the same on the back of the said certificate: And in case such payment shall not be made in the presence of some white person, as aforesaid, and complaint made thereof by such wild negro or negroes to the said magistrate, or any other of the parish or precinct where such runaway slave or slaves were taken up, such magistrate shall summon such owner or owners, or such other persons, to appear before him, at the time and place appointed by such summons; and if it shall appear to the said magistrate that the said reward and mile-money have not been fully paid to such wild negro or negroes, or that the party summoned (and oath made thereof by the person serving the warrant) do not appear, the said magistrate is hereby authorized and required, under the penalty of ten pounds, to issue his warrant, and direct the same to any constable or marshal, to distrain on the goods of the said owner or owners, and the same, or so much thereof as will satisfy and pay the sum due to the said wild negro or negroes, to sell at public outcry, first giving five days notice of such sale, at the most public place in the parish where such goods are distrained; and, for the constable’s trouble in distraining or selling such goods, he shall retain two shillings and six pence in the pound, out of the money arising from such sale, besides all reasonable charges in executing said warrant, returning the overplus (if any be) to the said owner or owners: And in case the magistrate shall not know, or be informed, who the owner or owners of such runaway slave or slaves shall be, or the owner (if known) shall reside at an inconvenient distance, such magistrate shall certify to the next marshal the sum due to the said wild negro or negroes, in manner and in form as is above directed to be done to the owner or owners of such runaway slave or slaves; and the said marshal is hereby directed and obliged to pay to such wild negro or negroes the sum or sums mentioned in the said certificate, with mile-money, at the rate of seven pence halfpenny per mile, from the place the said certificate may happen to be dated, to the place of the marshal’s residence; and, if the said marshal shall neglect or refuse to pay such wild negro or negroes the sum he or they may be entitled to under this act, the said marshal shall be liable to pay, and be proceeded against in the same manner as is herein before directed, in case of any owner or owners neglecting or refusing to pay, as is directed by this act.” (See 32 Geo. 3. cap. 4.)