An Act for the encouragement of such Negroes and other Slaves, that shall behave themselves courageously against the Enemy in time of invasion.

An Act for the encouragement of such Negroes and other Slaves in this Island, who are worthy of trust and confidence to be reposed in them, and therefore may be of great service to this Island, should the same be invaded: To the end therefore that encouragement may be given for every Negro or other Slave, to behave themselves couragiously [sic] against the Enemy, (Clause I.) Be it enacted by his Excellency, Mitford Crowe, Esquire, Captain General, and Commander in chief of this and other the Caribbee-Islands, lying and being to windward of Guadaloupe, the Honourable the Members of Her Majesty's Council, and the General Assembly of this Island, and by the Authority of the same, that every Negro or other Slave within this Island, who in time of Invasion by Her Majesty's Enemies, or other attempt to be made on this Island, shall engage and couragiously [sic] behave himself in time of battle, so as to kill any one of the Enemy, the said Negroes or other Slaves, and every of them, upon due proof thereof made before one of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace in this Island, by the oath of two credible white Men, shall be and are hereby respectively declared Free-man, to all intents and purposes whatsoever, and shall be deemed and held absolutely free from all future slavery towards his Master and Mistress, from and immediately after such proof to be made in manner aforesaid.

And to the end that the Owners of every such Negro or other Slave, who shall gain their Freedom by virtue of this Act, may receive a full recompence for the loss which they shall sustain thereby, (Clause II.) Be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That every Negro or other Slave, who shall happen to be set free by this Act, shall be valued and appraised on oath by two of the neighbouring Free-holders, to the place where the Owners of such Negroes or Slaves live, before one of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace in this Island; which Justice of the Peace shall give a Certificate of the value to the Owner or Owners of such Negroes or Slaves, who are to produce the same to his Excellency, and thereupon his said Excellency, by and with the advice and consent of the Council, is humbly desired to issue his Order or Orders on the Treasurer of this Island for the time being, forthwith to pay the same out of the duty of Excise on strong Liquors; and in case it shall so happen, that at the time of the issuing of such Orders, there shall not be money sufficient in the Treasury to discharge the same, then upon the Treasurer's certifying the same upon the back of each Order or Orders, the respective Owners thereof shall be allowed Interest, at and after the rate of ten pounds per Cent. per Annum, from the time of the date of the said Certificate, until the full value of every such Negro or other Slave, shall be paid and satisfied.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Negroes or other Slaves at the time of Invasion, or appearance of the Enemy, shall happen to be killed, the Owner or Owners, of such Negroes or other Slaves, shall be paid the full value of every such Negro or other Slave, out of the public Treasury of this Island; which value shall be set by the oath of two credible witnesses, before any one of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace in this Island, who is hereby required to give a Certificate thereof to the Owner or Owners of such Negro or Negroes, or other Slave or Slaves; upon which Certificate, his Excellency, by and with the advice and consent of the Council, is humbly desired to issue his Order or Orders for payment thereof; any Law, Custom, or Usage to the contrary, in any wise notwithstanding.

Passed the 30th day of November, 1707