The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America Part 40

~1789, Sept. 19. Congress (House): Bill to Tax Slaves Imported.~

A committee under Parker of Virginia reports, "a bill concerning the importation of certain persons prior to the year 1808." Read once and postponed until next session. _House Journal_ (repr. 1826), 1 Cong. 1 sess. I. 37, 114; _Annals of Cong._, 1 Cong. 1 sess., pp. 366, 903.

~1790, March 22. Congress (House): Declaration of Powers.~

See above, pages 82-83.

~1790, March 22. New York: Amendment of Act of 1788.~

"An Act to amend the act ent.i.tled 'An act concerning slaves.'"

"Whereas many inconveniences have arisen from the prohibiting the exporting of slaves from this State. Therefore

"_Be it enacted_ ..., That where any slave shall hereafter be convicted of a crime under the degree of a capital offence, in the supreme court, or the court of oyer and terminer, and general gaol delivery, or a court of general sessions of the peace within this State, it shall and may be lawful to and for the master or mistress to cause such slave to be transported out of this State," etc. _Laws of New York, 1789-96_ (ed.

1886), p. 151.

~1792, May. Connecticut: Act of 1788 Strengthened.~

"An Act in addition to an Act, ent.i.tled 'An Act to prevent the Slave Trade.'"

This provided that persons directly or indirectly aiding or a.s.sisting in slave-trading should be fined 100. All notes, bonds, mortgages, etc., of any kind, made or executed in payment for any slave imported contrary to this act, are declared null and void. Persons removing from the State might carry away their slaves. _Acts and Laws of Connecticut_ (ed.

1784), pp. 412-3.

~1792, Dec. 17. Virginia: Revision of Acts.~

"An Act to reduce into one, the several acts concerning slaves, free negroes, and mulattoes."

-- 1. "_Be it enacted_ ..., That no persons shall henceforth be slaves within this commonwealth, except such as were so on the seventeenth day of October," 1785, "and the descendants of the females of them."

-- 2. "Slaves which shall hereafter be brought into this commonwealth, and kept therein one whole year together, or so long at different times as shall amount to one year, shall be free."

-- 4. "_Provided_, That nothing in this act contained, shall be construed to extend to those who may incline to remove from any of the United States and become citizens of this, if within sixty days after such removal, he or she shall take the following oath before some justice of the peace of this commonwealth: '_I, A.B., do swear, that my removal into the state of Virginia, was with no intent of evading the laws for preventing the further importation of slaves, nor have I brought with me any slaves, with an intention of selling them, nor have any of the slaves which I have brought with me, been imported from Africa, or any of the West India islands, since the first day of November_,'" 1778, etc.

-- 53. This act to be in force immediately. _Statutes at Large of Virginia, New Series_, I. 122.

~1792, Dec. 21. South Carolina: Importation Prohibited until 1795.~

"An Act to prohibit the importation of Slaves from Africa, or other places beyond sea, into this State, for two years; and also to prohibit the importation or bringing in Slaves, or Negroes, Mulattoes, Indians, Moors or Mestizoes, bound for a term of years, from any of the United States, by land or by water."

"Whereas, it is deemed inexpedient to increase the number of slaves within this State, in our present circ.u.mstances and situation;

-- 1. "_Be it therefore enacted_ ..., That no slave shall be imported into this State from Africa, the West India Islands, or other place beyond sea, for and during the term of two years, commencing from the first day of January next, which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three."

-- 2. No slaves, Negroes, Indians, etc., bound for a term of years, to be brought in from any of the United States or bordering countries.

Settlers may bring their slaves. Cooper, _Statutes_, VII. 431.

~1793, Dec. 19. Georgia: Importation Prohibited.~

"An act to prevent the importation of negroes into this state from the places herein mentioned." t.i.tle only. Re-enacted (?) by the Const.i.tution of 1798. Marbury and Crawford, _Digest_, p. 442; Prince, _Digest_, p.

786.

~1794, North Carolina: Importation Prohibited.~

"An act to prevent the further importation and bringing of slaves and indented servants of colour into this state."

-- 1. "_Be it enacted_ ..., That from and after the first day of May next, no slave or indented servant of colour shall be imported or brought into this state by land or water; nor shall any slave or indented servant of colour, who may be imported or brought contrary to the intent and meaning of this act, be bought, sold or hired by any person whatever."

-- 2. Penalty for importing, 100 per slave; for buying or selling, the same.

-- 4. Persons removing, travelling, etc., are excepted. The act was amended slightly in 1796. Martin, _Iredell's Acts of a.s.sembly_, II. 53, 94.

~1794, March 22. United States Statute: Export Slave-Trade Forbidden.~

"An Act to prohibit the carrying on the Slave Trade from the United States to any foreign place or country." _Statutes at Large_, I. 347.

For proceedings in Congress, see _Senate Journal_ (repr. 1820), 3 Cong.

1 sess. II. 51; _House Journal_ (repr. 1826), 3 Cong. 1 sess. II. 76, 84, 85, 96, 98, 99, 100; _Annals of Cong._, 3 Cong. 1 sess. pp. 64, 70, 72.

~1794, Dec. 20. South Carolina: Act of 1792 Extended.~

"An Act to revive and extend an Act ent.i.tled 'An Act to prohibit the importation of Slaves from Africa, or other places beyond Sea, into this State, for two years; and also, to prohibit the importation or bringing in of Negro Slaves, Mulattoes, Indians, Moors or Mestizoes, bound for a term of years, from any of the United States, by Land or Water.'"

-- 1. Act of 1792 extended until Jan. 1, 1797.

-- 2. It shall not be lawful hereafter to import slaves, free Negroes, etc., from the West Indies, any part of America outside the United States, "or from other parts beyond sea." Such slaves are to be forfeited and sold; the importer to be fined 50; free Negroes to be re-transported. Cooper, _Statutes_, VII. 433.

~1795. North Carolina: Act against West Indian Slaves.~

"An act to prevent any person who may emigrate from any of the West India or Bahama islands, or the French, Dutch or Spanish settlements on the southern coast of America, from bringing slaves into this state, and also for imposing certain restrictions on free persons of colour who may hereafter come into this state." Penalty, 100 for each slave over 15 years of age. _Laws of North Carolina_ (revision of 1819), I. 786.

~1796. Maryland: Importation Prohibited.~

"An Act relating to Negroes, and to repeal the acts of a.s.sembly therein mentioned."

"_Be it enacted_ ..., That it shall not be lawful, from and after the pa.s.sing of this act, to import or bring into this state, by land or water, any negro, mulatto or other slave, for sale, or to reside within this state; and any person brought into this state as a slave contrary to this act, if a slave before, shall thereupon immediately cease to be the property of the person or persons so importing or bringing such slave within this state, and shall be free."

-- 2. Any citizen of the United States, coming into the State to take up _bona fide_ residence, may bring with him, or within one year import, any slave which was his property at the time of removal, "which slaves, or the mother of which slaves, shall have been a resident of the United States, or some one of them, three whole years next preceding such removal."