A. D. 1787. Acts relating to Slaves. No. 1372. AN ORDINANCE TO IMPOSE A PENALTY ON ANY PERSON WHO SHALL IMPORT INTO THIS STATE ANY NEGROES, CONTRARY TO THE INSTALMENT ACT. I. Be it ordained, by the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives, met in General Assembly, and by the authority of the same, That any person importing or bringing into this State a negro slave, contrary to the Act to regulate the recovery of debts and prohibiting the importation. of negroes, shall, besides the forfeiture of such negro or slave, be liable to a penalty of one hundred pounds, to the use of the State, for every such negro or slave so imported and brought in, in addition to the forfeiture in and by the said Act prescribed. In the Senate House, the twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, and in the eleventh year of the Independence of the United States of America. JOHN LLOYD, President of the Senate. JOHN J. PRINGLE, Speaker of the House of Representatives. No. 1389. AN ACT AUTHORIZING PERSONS HAVING IN THEIR POSSESSION, OR TAKING UP, RUNAWAY SLAVES, TO SEND THEM TO THE GAOLS OF THE DISTRICTS WHERE THEY MAY BE APPREHENDED, AND NOT TO THE WORK-HOUSE OF CHARLESTON. I. Be it enacted, by the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Assembly met, and by the authority of the same, That every person or persons, having in custody or taking up one or more runaway slaves, shall cause the same to be conveyed and delivered to the gaoler of any district in which such slave shall be apprehended, within five days after having such slave in custody, under the penalty of twenty shillings for each day he or they shall neglect to carry such slave to the gaoler, to be recovered by the owner, before a magistrate, or any court of record, as the case may require; and the said gaoler shall, on receiving such slave or slaves, confine and be answerable for the same, and give a receipt thereof, and also give his note of hand to the person so delivering the same, for the amount of the party's trouble and expenses, allowing four pence per mile, and a half dollar per day, allowing twenty-five miles per day going, only, and the sum of ten shillings for taking up every such slave, if a runaway, which note shall be made payable to the bearer, and reimbursed to the gaoler, immediately, out of the amount sales of every such negro, or when his owner shall take him out of gaol, which shall not be before such owner shall pay such and other lawful charges for confining and maintain. ing of such slave; provided, that where any person hath or shall take up any slave, he shall cause him to be conveyed to a neighbouring justice, who may examine the party on oath, touching the distance and time in which he hath necessarily travelled, and in which he shall go with such slave the nearest way to the district gaol, and thereof shall give a certifi cate, on a just estimate of such time and distance; without which certificate Acts relating to Slaves. the gaoler shall not be obliged to give his note; but he shall, notwithstanding, take every such slave into confinoment. And in all cases where such slave or slaves shall be delivered to any gaoler, he shall safely keep, advertise and dispose of them, according to the directions of an Act passed the tenth day of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four, to oblige persons having negroes and other property, to render an account thereof; and for every day the said gaoler shall wilfully neglect to advertise such slave or slaves, after having him or them in his custody, agreeable to the directions of the said Act, he shall forfeit ten shillings for each slave, to be recovered by the owner before a magistrate, or in any court of record, as the case may require. II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That such part of the said Act as obliges persons residing in any other district than Charleston, and having in their custody such slaves, to convey them to the warden of the work-house of Charleston, shall be, and the same is hereby, repealed. In the Senate House, the twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, and in the twelfth year of the Independence of the United States of America. JOHN LLOYD, President of the Senate. JOHN J. PRINGLE, Speaker of the House of Representatives. A. D. 1792. AN ACT TO PROHIBIT THE IMPORTATION OF SLAVES FROM AFRICA, OR No. 1544. WATER. WHEREAS, it is deemed inexpedient to increase the number of slaves within this State, in our present circumstances and situation; I. 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 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. II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no slave or negro, Indian, Moor, mulatto or Mestizo, bound to service for a term of years, shall be brought into this State, by land or by water, from any of the United States, or any of the countries bordering thereon, ever hereafter; provided nevertheless, that it shall and may be lawful for any citizen of the United States, coming to settle with his family in this State from any of the United 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 shall be permitted, under color of such removal, to bring with him, her or them, into this State, 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. III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any slave or negro, Indian, Moor, mulatto or mestizo, bound to service 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 mestizo, 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 mestizo, contrary to the intent and meaning of this Act, shall, moreover, be subject to a penalty of fifty pounds for every slave or negro, Indian, Moor, mulatto or mestizo, so brought in. IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That where any person has knowledge of or sufficient grounds to believe that any slave or negro, Indian, Moor, mulatto or mestizo, has been imported or brought into this State, contrary to the true intent and meaning of this Act, it shall and may be lawful for such person to make information thereof to a magistrate, upon oath, who is hereby required and directed to issue his warrant against the person accused of such importation or bringing in, and who, upon hearing the informer and person accused, may either discharge the accused, if he thinks there is no just cause of information or good grounds 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 mestizoes so imported or brought into this State, contrary to this Act, unless the party accused give ample security for re-delivery 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 thereon 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 allow. ed 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 judg. ment 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 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 the Senate. JACOB READ, Speaker of the House of Representatives. Acts relating to Slaves. A. D. 1794. AN ACT TO REVIVE AND EXTEND AN ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT TO No. 1605. I. Be it enacted by the Honorable the Senate and House of Repre. sentatives, now met and sitting in General Assembly, and by the authority of the same, That an Act entitled "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," be, and the same is hereby, extended, until the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven. : II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That it shall not be lawful, at any time hereafter, for any slave or free negro, mulattoe or mestizoe, or other person of color, whether bond or free, to be imported or brought into this State, or to land or enter the State, from the Bahamas or West India Islands, or from any part of the continant of America, without the limits of the United States, or from other parts beyond sea; and all and every slave and slaves, which shall be imported or brought as aforesaid, upon landing or being landed or conducted within this State, shall be, and the same are hereby declared to be, forfeited; and the Governor is hereby authorized and required to transport said slave, and sell him or her; one half of the proceeds for the benefit of the State, and the other half to the informer and moreover, the person or persons who shall import or bring in such slaves, upon being convicted thereof, shall forfeit and pay to the State, the sum of fifty pounds for each slave so unlawfully imported or brought in; and the ship or vessel or other vehicle by which such slaves shall be so unlawfully imported or brought in, are hereby declared responsible for paying the same, and shall forthwith be taken possession of, for and on behalf of the State, unless the offender or offenders, or some other person or persons, will, before some judge or magistrate, enter into bond and good security to the State for the payment of such penalty, together with costs and charges, as shall be adjudged to be forfeited, under or by virtue of this Act. And if any free negro, mulattoe or mestizoe, or other person of color, bond or free, from any of the places or parts aforesaid, shall land or enter the State of their own accord, they, and each of them, shall immediately be apprehended and committed to gaol, and notice of such commitment shall immediately be given to the Governor of the State, who is hereby required to cause such person or persons to be transported to the place from whence they came, or such other place as he may deem most advisable; and to provide for the maintenance of such persons during their necessary confinement, (should they not have wherewith to support themselves,) it shall and may be lawful for the sheriff and gaoler to compel them to such reasonable labor as may be conveniently provided for them. In the Senate House, this twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four, and in the nineteenth year of the American Independence. DAVID RAMSAY, President of the Senate. JACOB READ, Speaker of the House of Representatives. VOL. VII.-55. A. D. 1796. Acts relating to Slaves. No. 1645. AN ACT TO PROHIBIT THE IMPORTATION OF NEGROES, UNTIL THE FIRST DAY OF JANUARY, ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND NINETY-NINE. WHEREAS, it appears to be highly impolitic to import negroes from Africa, or other places beyond seas. I. 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 the importation of negroes from Africa, and other places beyond seas, be, and it is hereby, prohibited, until the first day of January, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine; and every slave who shall be imported contrary to this Act, upon landing, or being landed or conducted into this State, shall be forfeited; and the Governor is hereby authorized and required to sell such slave; one half of the proceeds of the sale to be for the benefit of the State, and the other half to the informer. II. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the person or persons who shall import or bring in such slave, upon being convicted thereof, shall forfeit and pay to the State, fifty pounds for each slave so imported or brought into this State; and the ship, vessel, or other vehicle, in which such slaves shall be so unlawfully imported, is hereby declared responsible for paying the same, and shall forthwith be taken into possession, for and on behalf of the State, unless the offender or offenders, or some other person or persons, will, before some judge or magistrate, enter into bond with good security to the State for payment of such penalty, together with costs and charges, as shall be adjudged to be forfeited, under or by virtue of this Act. In the Senate House, the nineteeuth day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-six, and in the twenty-first year of the Independence of the United States of America. DAVID RAMSAY, President of the Senate. ROBT. BARNWELL, Speaker of the House of Representateves. No. 1658. AN ACT MORE WHEREAS, it is found expedient to adopt measures more effectually to prevent slaves without tickets from dealing with shop-keepers, traders and others, to the prejudice of their owners; 1. 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 if any shop-keeper, trader, or other person, shall, at any time hereafter, by himself or any other person, directly or indirectly, buy or purchase from any slave, in any part of this State, any corn, rice, peas, or other grain, bacon, flour, tobacco, cotton, indigo blades, or any other article whatever, or shall otherwise deal, trade or traffic with any slave not having a ticket or permit so to deal, trade or traffic, or to sell any such article, from and under the hand of his master or owner, or such other |