Fugitive Slaves Part 21

=54. South Carolina:--For the better ordering of slaves.=

=1712.= _Statutes at Large of South Carolina, II. 381._

=55. New Jersey:--Regulation of slaves.=

=1713.= An Act for Regulating of Slaves. Sec. 2. "Negroes, etc., not having a pa.s.s may be taken up if 5 miles from Home whipped, and Persons so taking up have 5s." Sec. 3. "Negro belonging to another Province not having license, to be whipped, and the Taker of them to have 10s."--_Acts of the a.s.sembly of New Jersey, 18._

=56. New Jersey:--Regulation of white servants.=

=1713.= An Act for regulating of White Servants, and taking up Soldiers and Seamen deserting Her Majestys Service, and coming into this Colony.

Sec. 2. "Servants absenting without leave to be adjudged by any one Justice to serve double the time, and pay or serve for costs." Sec. 3.

"Those who counsel, aid, etc. such Servants to runaway, to forfeit 10"

etc. Sec. 4. "Those who knowingly conceal them, to pay 10s. per Day."

Sec. 5. "Those who take up Runaways and carry them back to have 15s. and 6d. per mile for so doing." Sec. 8. "Any Boatman, etc., who shall carry them into or out of this Province, etc., not having Pa.s.ses, as aforesaid, and Publick-Housekeepers entertaining them to forfeit 40s.,"

etc.--_Acts of the a.s.sembly of New Jersey, 24._

=57. Rhode Island:--Ferriage of runaways. [-- 4.]=

=1714, Oct. 27.= "Whereas, several negroes and mulatto slaves that have run away from their masters or mistresses, under pretence of being sent or employed by their masters or mistresses upon some service, and have been carried over the ferries, out and into the colony, and suffered to pa.s.s through the several towns under the aforesaid pretence, to the considerable damage and charge of their owners, and many times to the loss of their slaves;--Be it therefore enacted by this a.s.sembly, and by the authority thereof it is enacted, that no ferryman or boatman whatsoever, within this colony, shall carry or bring any slave as aforesaid over their ferries, without a certificate under the hands of their masters or mistresses, or some person in authority, upon the penalty of paying all costs and damages their said masters or mistresses shall sustain thereby; and to pay a fine of twenty s.h.i.+llings for the use of the colony, for each offence, as aforesaid. The said fine to be recovered by any two justices of the peace, upon confession or conviction of the said fact; and all persons in authority, and other His Majesty's Subjects in this colony knowing of any such slaves traveling through their towns.h.i.+p, wherein they dwell, without a certificate, as aforesaid, they are hereby required to cause such slave to be examined and secured so as the owner may be notified thereof, and have his slave again, paying the costs and charges that shall accrue thereon."--_Proceedings of General a.s.sembly, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Providence, 177; Records of Colony of Rhode Island, 177._

=58. South Carolina:--Additional Act to Act of 1712.=

=1714.= _Statutes at Large of South Carolina, II. 620._

=59. New York:--Act of 1705 revived. [-- 8.]=

=1715.= An Act for Reviving and Continuing an Act, Int.i.tuled an act to prevent the Running away of Negro Slaves out of the city and county of Albany to the French at Albany, 1705.--_Laws Province of New York, 218._

=60. North Carolina:--Servants and slaves.=

=1715.= An Act concerning servants and Slaves. t.i.tle only given.--_Laws of North Carolina, 21, 27._

=61. New Hamps.h.i.+re:--Runaway minors and servants.=

=1715.= An Act for preventing Men's Sons or Servants absenting themselves from their Parents or Masters Service without Leave.--"That no commander of any private man of war, or master of any merchant s.h.i.+p or vessel coming into, tarrying or abiding in, or going forth of any port, harbour, or place within this province, shall receive, harbour, entertain, conceal or secure on board such s.h.i.+p or other vessel, or suffer to be there harbour'd or detain'd any man's son, being under age or apprentice or covenant servant (knowing him to be such, or after notice thereof given) without license or consent of his parent or master in writing under his hand first had and obtain'd, on pain of forfeiting the sum of _five pounds per_ week, and so proportionably for a longer or shorter time, that any son, apprentice, or servant shall be held, harbour'd, conceal'd, or detain'd on board any such s.h.i.+p or other vessel, as aforesaid, without license and consent as aforesaid; the one moiety thereof to her Majesty, to be employed toward the support of the government of the province, and the other moiety unto the parent or master of such son, apprentice or servant that shall inform, or sue for the same, in any of her majesty's courts of record, within this province, by bill, plaint, or information, wherein no essoign, protection or wager of law shall be allowed. -- 2. _And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid_, that every apprentice or covenant servant who shall unlawfully absent himself from his master, and enter himself on board any s.h.i.+p or vessel, as aforesaid, with intent to leave his master's service, or incline there more than the s.p.a.ce of twenty-four hours, and be thereof convicted before any two of her majesty's justices of the peace, or in general sessions, within this province, shall forfeit unto his master such further service, from and after the expiration of the term which his said master had in him at the time of his departure as the said court shall order, not exceeding one year."--_Acts and Laws of His Majesty's Province of New Hamps.h.i.+re, 40._

=62. South Carolina:--Additional Act against runaways.=

=1717.= _Statutes at Large of South Carolina, III. 39._

=63. Ma.s.sachusetts Bay:--Transportation of apprentices and servants.=

=1718, October.= An Act for the preventing of persons under age, apprentices or servants, being transported out of the province without the consent of their masters, parents, or guardians. "Every master of any outward bound s.h.i.+p or vessel that shall hereafter carry or transport out of this province any person under age, or bought or hired servant or apprentice, to any parts beyond the seas, without the consent of such master, parent or guardian, signified in writing, shall forfeit the sum of fifty pounds," etc.--_Charters and Laws of the Colony and Province of Ma.s.sachusetts Bay, 750._

=64. South Carolina:--Regulation of Slaves.=

=1722.= An Act for the better ordering and governing of slaves.--_Statutes at Large of South Carolina, 193._

=65. Pennsylvania:--Regulation of negroes.=

=1725.= An Act for the better Regulating of negroes in this province.

"And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no Person or Persons whatsoever shall imploy, or knowingly harbour, conceal, or entertain other Peoples slaves at their Houses, Out Houses, or Plantations, without the Masters or Owners consent, excepting in stress of weather or other Extraordinary Occasion, under the Penalty of _Thirty s.h.i.+llings_ for every Twenty four Hours he or they shall entertain or harbour him or them as aforesaid."--_Province Laws of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1725._

=66. Virginia:--Earlier act amended.=

=1726, May.= Chap. III. The clause in regard to imprisonment when slave would not give name of master has proved very inconvenient. Chap. IV. An Act for amending the Act concerning Servants and Slaves; and for the further preventing the clandestine transportation of Persons out of this colony. IV. The sheriff or under sheriff to whom the slave is committed shall cause a notice containing a full description of the runaway to be posted on the door of the court-house, and shall send a copy to each church or chapel within the county which shall be set up "in some open and convenient place" on every Lord's day for two months. Neglect on part of the sheriff shall be fined five hundred pounds of tobacco; on the part of the clerk, two hundred pounds. VI. Provisions in regard to transportation. VIII. Runaways may be let out to hire by the keeper of the gaol. IX. When demanded by the owner, the person hireing shall deliver up the servant. X. "Provided also, that where the keeper of the said public gaol shall, by the direction of such court or courts, as aforesaid, let out any such negro or runaway to hire to any person or persons whatsoever, the said keeper shall, at the time of his delivery, cause a strong iron collar to be put on the neck of such negro or runaway, with the letters (P. G.) stamped thereon; and that thereafter the said keeper shall not be answerable for any escape of the said negro or runaway." XII. Fees of the gaolers given. XIII. Runaways from Maryland or Carolina shall be committed to any public gaol, and the fees shall be according to the laws of the province wherein the master dwells. XIV. The keeper of the gaol shall send descriptions of the runaway to such places of this dominion bordering on Maryland or Carolina as shall be agreed upon. XV., XVI. Fees described. XVIII.

Masters of vessels shall take the following oath: "I, A. B., master of the s.h.i.+p (or vessel), do swear that I will make diligent enquiry and search in my said s.h.i.+p (or vessel), and will not knowingly or willingly carry, or suffer to be carried, in my said s.h.i.+p, out of this dominion, without such pa.s.s as is directed by law, any person or persons whatsoever, that I shall know to be running hence in order to deceive their creditors; nor any servant or slave that is not attending his or her master or owner, or sent by such master or owner." XX. For forging a pa.s.s persons offending shall stand two hours in the pillory, and receive thirty lashes at the whipping-post. XXI. A white servant who shall run away, change his name, or disguise himself with intent to escape, shall serve six months longer than his term for running away.--_Statutes at Large. Hening, Laws of Virginia, IV. 168._

=67. Connecticut:--Runaway servants and slaves.=

=1730 (probably).= An Act concerning _Indian_, _Molatto_, and _Negro_ Servants and Slaves. "That whatsoever _Negro_, _Molatto_, or _Indian_ Servant, or Servants shall be found wandering out of the Bounds of the Town, or Place to which they belong, without a Ticket or Pa.s.s in writing, under the Hand of some a.s.sistant or Justice of the Peace, or under the Hand of the Master, or Owner of such _negro_, _molatto_, or _Indian_ Servants shall be deemed and Accounted to be Run-aways, and may be Treated as such; and every Person Inhabiting this colony, Finding or Meeting with any such _Negro_, _molatto_, or _Indian_ Servant or Servants, not having a ticket as aforesaid, is hereby impowered to Seize and Secure him, or them, and Bring him or them before the next Authority to be Examined, and Returned to his, or their master or Owner, who shall satisfy the Charge Accruing thereby. And all Ferry-Men within this colony, are hereby Required not to suffer any _Indian_, _molatto_ or _negro_ servant without certificate, as aforesaid, to pa.s.s over their Respective Ferries, by a.s.sisting them therein Directly or Indirectly, on Penalty of paying a Fine of Twenty s.h.i.+llings for every such Offence."--_Acts and Laws of His Majestie's Colony of Connecticut, 229._

=68. New York:--Slave insurrections, etc.=

=1730.= An Act for the more effectual preventing and punis.h.i.+ng the conspiracy and Insurrection of negroes and other Slaves; for the better regulating them, and for repealing the acts therein mentioned, relating thereto. Pa.s.sed the 29th of October, 1730. No fugitive slave provision.

Penalty for entertaining Slaves as in 1702. Also Persons who do not discover those that entertain slaves shall pay Forty s.h.i.+llings.--_Acts of Province of New York, 193._

=69. South Carolina:--Regulation of slaves.=

=1735.= _Statutes at Large of South Carolina, III. 405._

=70. Delaware:--Regulation of servants and slaves.=

=1740.= An Act for the better regulation of Servants and Slaves within this government (a). Sec. 5. "Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that from such time as any servant shall absent him or herself from his or her masters or mistress' service, without leave first obtained for the same, every such servant, for such absence, and the expenses of taking up, shall at the expiration of the time of his or her servitude, make satisfaction by servitude, according to the judgement of any court of Quarter Sessions within this government." Sec. 6. "And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if any person shall apprehend or take up any runaway servant and carry him or her before the next Justice of the Peace of the county where such servant shall be so taken up, in order to be sent to and secured in the gaol of the said county, for his or her master's or mistress' service." The sheriff or gaoler shall then send notice to the servant's owner, if known; if not, the servant shall be advertised in some newspaper in the city of Philadelphia. The reward for taking up runaways shall be, "if ten miles distant from the place of the said servants last abode, or under, the sum of Ten s.h.i.+llings, if upwards of ten miles, the sum of Twenty s.h.i.+llings." "And if the master or owner of such servant so imprisoned shall, for the s.p.a.ce of six weeks next after notice had of his or her servants imprisonment, neglect or refuse to release such servant, it shall and may be lawful for the said Sheriff, and he is hereby required and commanded, upon affidavit made of the due service of such notice, to expose every such servant to sale at public vendue, and him or her to sell to the highest bidder, for such term and sum as shall be sufficient for the defraying the costs and charges arising upon the apprehending and imprisoning the said servant." Sec. 7. "Suspicious persons travelling without a pa.s.s shall be deemed runaway servants and treated as such."--_Laws of Delaware, 211, 212._

=71. Delaware:--Regulation of servants and slaves.=

=1740.= An Act for the better regulation of Servants and Slaves within this Government. "Sec. 14. _And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid_, that who so ever shall take up any negro or mulatto slave at above ten miles distance from his or her masters or mistress' dwelling or habitation, and not having leave in writing from his or her master or mistress, or not being known by the taker-up to be about his or her master's or mistress' business or service, and shall convey him or her to the habitation of his or her said master or mistress, if known, such taker-up shall receive of the said master or mistress, for his reward, the sum of Five s.h.i.+llings, with reasonable charges. Sec. 15. _And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid_, that no person shall employ or knowingly harbour, conceal or entertain another's servant or slave at his or her house or plantation without the master or owner's leave and consent, except in distress of weather or other extraordinary occasion or accident, under the penalty of Forty s.h.i.+llings for every twenty four hours he or she shall entertain any such servant or slave, as afore said, and so in proportion for any lesser time."--_Laws of the State of Delaware, 215, 216._

=72. South Carolina:--Regulation of slaves.=