An Act to punish those who shall murder or maim Slaves, in the Island of Saint Vincent and its dependencies

WE, Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, Drewry Ottley, esquire, commander in chief for the time being in and over the Islands of St. Vincent, Bequia, and such other the Islands, commonly called The Grenadines, as lie to the northward of Cariacou in America, and the council and assembly of the same, have enacted and ordained; and be it enacted, and it is hereby enacted and ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the maliciously killing a slave by any person or persons whomsoever shall be deemed murder, and the person or persons guilty thereof shall suffer death without benefit of clergy.

[Clause II] And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any person or persons whosoever shall severely, wantonly or maliciously wound, bruise, cut, or any ways maim, disable or dismember any slave or slaves within this government, such offender or offenders shall be and are hereby declared guilty of a misdemeanor, and thereof indicate, and upon conviction of such offence before any court, to be held by virtue of a commission of oyer and terminer and gaol delivery, or before the court of grand sessions of the peace, shall be fined, imprisoned or suffer corporal punishment, at the discretion of such court, any law to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding; and such fine, imprisonment and corporal punishment to be imposed is hereby declared in no manner to divest or do away the civil remedy or [2] remedies, which the owner or owners of any slave or slaves, or person or persons claiming the same in any right or manner whatsoever, shall have or take for such treatment of such slave or slaves.

[Clause III] And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all fines arising by this Act shall be paid to His Majesty, his heirs and successors, for the public uses of this Island, and the support of the government thereof.

Dated in Kingstown, this twenty-third day of September, in the forty-first year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth; and in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and one. John Kearton, Speaker. Edward Sharpe, President.

Passed the Assembly, this fifteenth day of October one thousand eight hundred and one. Herbert P. Cox, Clerk of the Assembly.

Passed the Council, this twenty-third day of September one thousand eight hundred and one. John Gloster, Deputy Clerk of the Council.

Assented to by his honour the Commander in Chief, this fifteenth day of October one thousand eight hundred and one. John Gloster, Deputy Clerk of the Council. Drewry Ottley.

Duly published in Kingstown, the eleventh day of November one thousand eight hundred and one, in the forty-second year of His Majesty’s reign. William Alexander, Provost Marshal.