pril term, shall and may sit from day to (Sundays excluded) until the whole of the ses at issue be tried; provided the term do extend beyond fifteen days.

day bridge cau- may sit 15 days next not April

In the Senate House, the twenty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, and in the seventeenth year of the Independence of the United States of America.

DAVID RAMSAY,

President of the Senate.

JACOB READ,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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 mustizoes, bound for a term of years, from any of the United States by land or water.

HEREAS it is deemed inexpedient to

W increase the number of slaves within

this state, in our present circumstances and situation:

term.

Be it therefore enacted by the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives, now met and sitting in general assembly, and by the authority of the same, That no slave shall be im- No slaves ported into this state from Africa, the West- to be imported for India islands, or other place beyond sea, for two years and during the term of two years, commencing from befrom the first day of January next, which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three.

yond sea.

And be it further enacted by the authority No slave, aforesaid, That no slave or negro, Indian, or negro,

for a term

shall be imported

&c. bound Moor, mulatto or mustizo, bound to service for to service a term of years, shall be brought into this state, of years, by land or by water from any of the United States, or any of the countries bordering the refrom any on, ever hereafter. Provided nevertheless, That of the Uni- it shall and may be lawful for any citizen of the ted States. United States, coming to settle with his family in this state, from any of the Uni.cd States, and actually settling in this state for five years, to bring along with him or her all such slaves as he, she or they may possess, in his, her or their own right, or as guardian for any person removing with him, her or them; but no person shail te permitted under coicur of such removal, to bring with him, her or them into this sate for sale, the slave or slaves of any other person. And provided also, That if any citizen of this state shall intermarry with a citizen of another state, it shall and may be lawful for such citizen to bring into this state all such slaves as he or they may actually and directly acquire by such intermarriage. And provided nothing in this

act contained shall be construed to extend to the servants or domestics of persons travelling to and from and into this state from any of the United States, or to the domestics of persons arriving from any other place, and residing not more than six months in this state: but such servants or domestics shall, in such case be permitted to be sold or to remain in this state, at the departure of their owners or masters.

And be it further enacted by the authority Penalty for aforesaid, That if any slave or negro, Indian, importing Moor, mulatto or mustizo, bound to service slaves, &c. for a term of years, shall be imported or brought into this state, contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, such slave or slaves, negro, Indian, Moor, mulatto or mustizo, shall be

deemed and taken as a forfeiture to the state, one third part of whose value shall be paid to the person or persons making information of such importation or bringing in; and the person or persons importing or bringing in such slave or Slaves, negro, Indian, Moor, mulatto or mustizo, contrary to the intent and meaning of this act, shall moreover be subject to a penany of fifty pounds for every slave or negro, Indian, Moor, mulatto or mustizo so brought in.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That where any person has know- Informati leage of or sufficient grounds to believe that any on to be given to slave or negro, Indi..n, Moor, mulatto or mus- magistizo, has been imported or brought into this trate. state, contrary to the true irtent and meaning, of this act, it shi and may be lawful for such person to make information thereof to a magistrate upon oath, who is hereby required and duccred to issue his warrant against the person accused of such importation or bringing in; and who, upon Manner of hearing the informer and person accused, may proceedirgon such either discharge the accused, if he thinks there informatiis no just cause of information or good grounds on Fcing given. of suspicion, or if there appears sufficient cause of information, he shall forthwith take into safe keeping all the slaves, negroes, Indians, Moors, mulattoes or mustizoes, so imported or brought into this state contrary to this act, unless the party accused give ample security for redelivery of the same slave or slaves, Indian, Moor, negro, mulatto or mustizo, if adjudged to be forfeited; and said magistrate shall forthwith proceed to summon to his aid one other magistrate and three freeholders, who shall hear the parties and adjudge thercon as to law and justice doth belong; and if either the informer or person accused are dissatisfied with the judgment of the

single magistrate, or the magistrates and freeholders, they shall be allowed an appeal from such judgment, to the next court of common pleas to be holden for the district where such trial has first been had, where the said appeal shall be tried before a jury of the country, without delay, the judgment of which court shall be final and conclusive.

In the Senate House, the twenty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord one thou sand seven hundred and ninety-two, and in the seventeenth year of the Independence of the United States of America.

DAVID RAMSAY,

President of the Senate.

JACOB READ,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

An ACT to repeal a part of the act, passed the 19th of February, 1791, entitled, "An act for gradually calling in and sinking the Paper Medium, issued by virtue of an act, entitled, "An act to establish a medium of circulation by way of loan, and to secure its credit and utility," passed the 12th of October, 1785, and for other purposes therein mentioned.

WHE

HEREAS by reason of the extraordinary drought which prevailed during the last summer throughout this state, many of the inhabitants thereof have lost, some a part, and others nearly the whole of their crops, whereby they will be deprived of the means of paying such part of the principal of the paper medium by them borrowed, as will become due on the first Wednesday in March next:

Be it therefore enacted by the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives, now met

1

and sitting in general assembly, and by the authority of the same, That so much of the act, Repealing passed the nineteenth day of February, in the clause. year one thousand seven hundred and ninetyone, entitled, "An act for gradually calling in and sinking the paper medium, issued by virtue of an act, entidied, "An act to establish a mediun of circulation by way of loan, and to secure its credit and utility," passed the 12th October, 1785," as requires one-fifth part of the principal sum borrowed of the said paper medium, to be paid by the borrowers on the first Wednesday in March next, which will be in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three, shall be, and the same is hereby repealed; and that such fifth part shall be payable at the time when the last payment shall become due, under the said act. Provided, That no borrower of the Proviso, paper medium who failed to make the payment respecting which was required to be made on the second who failed Wednesday in May, one thousand seven hun- to make dred and ninety-one, or who failed to make the payments payment which was required to be made on the 1792. first Wednesday in March, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, shall be entitled to the benefit of this act, unless such borrower shall on or before the first Wednesday in March next, which will be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-thuce, pay up whatever may be due by such borrower, on account of either of the instalments, of the principal before mentioned, and the whole of the interest that will become due on the first Wednesday in March, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three, together with all costs and charges which may have accrued in consequence of such borrower's default; but nothing in this proviso contained shall abate or other.

persons

in 1791 and