it being found expedient that the said act should be further continued, for the purposes therein mentioned. II. BE it therefore enacted, by the Lieutenant-Governor, Council and Burgesses of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That the said recited act, and every clause and article thereof, shall be, and continue in force, from and after the said twentieth day of April, one thousand seven hundred and fifty six, for and during the term of four years from thence next following, and no longer. CHAP. V. An Act for further continuing certain acts of Assembly therein mentioned. I. WHEREAS by an act of Assembly made in the nineteenth year of the reign of his present majesty, intituled, An act for reducing the laws made for laying a duty upon liquors into one act of Assembly; a duty of two pence per gallon was laid upon rum, brandy, distilled spirits, and wine; and one penny per gallon upon cyder, beer or ale, imported from any port or place whatsoever, except directly from Great Britain, and to be paid by the owner or importer of the same, during the term of four years; and also a further duty of one penny per gallon upon rum, brandy, spirits, and wine, during the term of eleven years: And whereas by another act passed in the twenty se cond year of his present majesty's reign, for continuing the before recited act, the said duty of two pence upon rum, brandy, spirits, and wine; and one penny upon cyder, beer, or ale, was continued for four years longer, which will expire on the tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and fifty five, and by a clause of the same act, an additional duty of one penny per gallon was laid upon rum, brandy, spirits, and wine, for the term of four years, which was afterwards continued by a subsequent act made in the twenty fifth year of the reign of his present majesty, intituled, An act for continuing a clause of an act of Assembly therein mentioned; and will also expire on the said tenth day of June, one thousand seven hundred and fifty five, and it being necessary that the said act should be further continued, for the better payment of the public debts, claims, and other exigencies of this government, which cannot otherwise be discharged without a poll tax, always grievous and burthensome to the subjects here. II. BE it therefore enacted by the Lieutenant Governor, Council, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That the said duty of two pence per gallon upon rum. brandy, spirits, and wine, and one penny upon cyder, beer, or ale, and the said additional duty of one penny per gallon upon rum, brandy, spirits, and wine, shall remain and continue to be raised, levied, collected, paid, and applied in the same manner, and to the uses, intents, and purposes, by the herein before recited acts of Assembly directed, from and after the said tenth day of June, which shall be in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and fifty five, for and during the term of three years from thence next following, and no longer. Continu ance. CHAP. VI. An Act for further encouraging persons to settle on the waters of the Mississippi. I. WHEREAS it will be a means of cultivating a Preamble. better correspondence with the neighbouring Indians, if a farther encouragement be given to persons who have settled, or shall settle on the waters of the Mississippi, in the county of Augusta. And whereas a considerable number of persons, as well his majesty's natural born subjects, as foreign protestants, are willing to come into this colony, with their families and effects, and settle upon the lands near the said waters, în case they can have such encouragement for so doing; and whereas the settling that part of the coun Persons set try, will add to the strength and security of the colo ny in general, and be a means of augmenting his majesty's revenue of quit rents. II. BE it therefore enacted by the Lieutenant-Governtling on Mis- Or, Council, and Burgesses of this present General Assissippi, ex- sembly, and it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the empted from sume, That all persons being protestants who have the payment of all public, already settled, or shall hereafter settle and reside on county, and any lands situate to the westward of the ridge of mounparish levies, tains, that divides the rivers Roanoke, James, and for 15 years. Potowmack, from the Mississippi, in the county of Augusta, shall be, and are exempted and discharged from the payment of all public, county, and parish levies, for the term of fifteen years next following, any law, usage, or custom to the contrary thereof, in any wise, notwithstanding. CHAP. VIL An Act for the better government of ser vants and slaves. I. BE it enacted, by the Lieutenant-Governor, CounRules as to cil, and Burgesses, of this present General Assembly, and servants im- it is hereby enacted, by the authority of the same, That ported with all servants, except convicts, imported into this colony out inden ture. Who shall be slaves. without indenture, if they be christians, of christian parentage, and above nineteen years of age, shall serve but five years; and if they be under nineteen, 'til they become twenty four years of age and no longer: but every such servant, under nineteen, shall be brought, within six months after his, or her importation, before the court of the county where the master lives, and his, or her age adjudged by the court, otherwise shall be a servant no longer than the accustomary five years, although under the age of nineteen; and the age of such servant, so adjudged and recorded, shall be accounted his, or her true age, in respect to the time of service. II. And that all persons who have been, or shall be imported into this colony, by sea or land, and were not christians in their native country, except Turks and Moors in amity with his majesty, and such who can prove their being free, in England, or any other christian country, before they were shipped for transportation hither, shall be accounted and be slaves, and as such be here bought and sold, notwithstanding. a conversion to christianity after their importation. men as slaves. III. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- Penalty for said, That if any person shall import into this colo- selling freeny, and here sell as a slave, any person or persons who have been free, in any christian country, island, or plantation, such importer and seller shall forfeit and pay, to the party from whom such free person shall recover his, or her freedom, double the sum for which such free person was sold, to be recovered in any court of record of this colony, with costs, according to the course of the common law, wherein the defendant shall not be permitted to plead in bar, any act or statute, for limitation of actions. slavery. IV. Provided always, That a slave's being in En What shall gland shall not be a discharge from slavery, without be no disother proof of being manumitted there; and that bap- charge from tism of slaves doth not exempt them from bondage: Children And that all children shall be bond or free, according bond or free to the condition of their mothers, and the particular according to directions of this act; and where any female mulattoe, their moor Indian, by law obliged to serve till the age of thirty one years, hath been, or shall be delivered of any child, during the time of her servitude, such child shall serve the master or mistress of such mulattoe, or Indian, until it shall attain the same age the mother of such child, was obliged by law to serve unto. ther's con dition. V. And be it further enacted, by the authority afore Master's dusaid, That all masters and owners of servants, by act ty to ser of parliament, indenture or custom, shall find and vants. provide for them, wholesome and competent diet, cloathing, and lodging, and shall not give immoderate correction, nor whip any christian white servant naked, without order from a justice of peace: And if any person shall presume to whip a christian white servant naked, without such order, he, or she, so offending, shall forfeit and pay fifty shillings current money, to the party injured, recoverable with costs, upon complaint made to the county court, within six months after such whipping. Justices shall receive servants com plaints. VI. And that all complaints of servants made to a justice of peace, shall, be by him received, and if thereupon he shall see cause, he may bind over the master or owner, to appear before the next court held for his county, to answer such complaint, where the same shall be heard and determined: And all petitions of servants to the court of the county wherein they reside, for diet, cloathing, lodging, correction, whipping, freedom, or freedom ducs, shall be received at any time, without the formality of an action, and such court is hereby declared to have jurisdiction and authority (the master or owner of the petitioner being first suminoned to appear) to hear and determine the matter of every such petition, in a summary way, and to award execution thereupon: And where the same shall relate to diet, cloathing, lodging, or correction, the court may make such order as to them shall appear just and necessary; and if the master, or owner, Proceedings will not comply with such order, the court may, upon a second complaint, or petition, order the servant, so vants petitions to the petitioning, to be immediately sold by the sheriff, by public auction, for the residue of his or her time of service, then unexpired, and the money, or tobacco, arising by such sale after charges deducted, shall be paid to the owner, when demanded; and if such seivant be sick, lame, or disabled, so that he or she, cannot be sold for so mach, at least, as will satisfy the fees, and other incident charges, the court shall order the churchwardens of the parish, to take care of, and provide for such servant, 'til the expiration of his or her time of service, or until he or she, can be sold for defraying all charges, and moreover, the court shall, from time to time, order the charges of keeping such servant to be levied, by distress, upon the goods and chattels of the master or owner. upon ser court. between masters and servants, un VII. And that no master or owner, shall, during No contracts the time of service, make any contract, or bargain with his or her servant, for further service, or other matter or thing relating to liberty, or personal profit, less in court. unless the same be made in the presence, and with the approbation of the court of the county wherein the master or owner resides: And if any servant shall, at any time, bring in goods or money, or during the time of their service shall, by gift, or any other lawful means, acquire goods or money, they shall have the property and benefit thereof to their own use: |