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Runaway not

name of his

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penalty of forfeiting and paying two hundred pounds of tobacco, to the church-wardens of the parish wherein such constable lives, recoverable with costs, by action of debt, in any county court, to the use of such parish: But the corporal punishment, herein before directed to be given to runaways, shall not deprive the master or owner of any servant, from the satisfaction by this act required to be made by servants for running away.

XVIII. And be it further enacted by the authority declaring the aforesaid, That every negroe, or other person, taken owner, shall up and brought before a justice of peace, and who be commit- Cannot, or will not declare the name of his or her owner, shall be committed to the goal of the county where taken, by warrant under the hand of such justice; and the sheriff or goaler, to whose custody such runaway shall be committed, shall forthwith cause notice thereProceedings of, and a description of such runaway, and his or her thereupon. cloathing, to be publicly affixed at the door of the

court house, and there continued two months, if no owner appears within that time; and shall also send a copy thereof, to the clerk or reader of every church within his county, to be by him published, and affixed in some open and convenient place near his church, every Sunday during two months, after the date thereof, unless the owner appear sooner, under penalty of five hundred pounds of tobacco, on every sheriff or goaler, and two hundred pounds of tobacco on every clerk or reader falling, one moiety to the king, his heirs and successors, for the better support of this government, and the contingent charges thereof, the other moiety to the informer, recoverable with costs, by action of debt, or information, in any county court: but such runaway shall be delivered to his or her owner when demanded, he or she satisfying the sheriff's fees, and also two hundred pounds of tobac co, or twenty shillings for the taking up: And that if within two months after such commitment, no owner. appears or claims, the sheriff shall deliver such runaway to the next constable, to be conveyed from one constable to another, 'til brought to the public goal of this colony, and delivered to the keeper thereof, by such warrant, and to receive such punishment as is herein before directed; and the said keeper is hereby required to receive such runaway into his safe custody, and give a receipt, and shall also publish an

advertisement, and a description of the person and cloaths, in the Virginia Gazette, and continue the same three months, of no owner appears; and it shall be lawful for the said keeper, upon application to the nearest county court to the said goal, with consent of the said court, to let such runaway to hire, to any person by them approved of, for money or tobacco, and for such term as shall be by them directed, and out of the hire arising thereby, all charges for taking up, imprisonment, conveying to goal, maintaining, and releasing such runaway, shall be first paid, and the overplus disposed of as such court shall direct; "but the said keeper shall cause a strong iron collar, with the letters P G stamped thereon, to be put on the neck of every runaway so hired out, at the time of delivering him or her to the person hiring, which shall indemnify him from any escape afterwards; and for every runaway so hired out, the keeper, of the said public goal shall be allowed one fee for commitment, and the same for releasement, and no more: And if any such runaway shall happen to die in goal, the reward for taking up, and all other fees incident, shall be defrayed by the public. Provided always, That when the owner of such runaway shall demand him or her, the person to whom he or she was hired, shall forthwith deliver the same into the custody of the keeper of the public goal, and shall then also pay the hire, in proportion to the time the runaway hath served; and if that be not sufficient to satisfy all charges, the owner paying down the residue, shall have him or her delivered.

slave in the

XIX. But whereas the continuance of runaway slaves some time in the public goal, may induce dis- Owner honest persons to pretend themselves owners, and claiming a thereby obtain possession to the prejudice of the true runaway owner, Be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, public goal, That before any such slave shall be delivered by the must prove keeper of the public goal, the person claiming such his properslave, shall first apply to the court of the county where ty. he resides, and make proof of his having lost a slave, answering the description, published by the said keeper in the Gazette, and obtain certificate thereof, and also there give security to answer all damages, if it shall thereafter appear, that the slave he shall thereupon receive from the said keeper, doth really belong to some other person: And on producing such certifi

Where no

cate to the keeper aforesaid, and making oath before the mayor, or some other magistrate of Williamsburg, that the slave, who shall be there present, is his, or the slave of for whom he appears, it shall be lawful for the said keeper, to deliver the slave so described and sworn to, and not otherwise. XX. And if no owner shall appear to claim such runaway, the county court shall, after the charges owner ap- aforesaid are paid and satisfied, cause such runaway to be sold at public auction, by the sheriff, and the money arising by the sale shall be paid to the treasurer of this colony, and applied by him for the use of the public; but in case the owner shall, at any time afterwards, prove his property in the said runaway, the said treasurer shall repay him or her, the money so received, and be allowed the same in his account.

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XXI. And that when any runaway shall have cross. Where runa-ed the bay of Chesapeake, and be brought before a ways have crossed the justice of any county lying upon the said bay, such runaway shall be committed to a sheriff, and not to the constable; but if he or she, after crossing the bay, shall get into some other county more remote, in such case the runaway shall be committed to a constable, and so from constable to constable, 'til delivered to the sheriff of some county adjoining to the bay aforesaid: And every such sheriff is hereby required to receive the runaway so to him committed, and shall forthwith cause him or her to be transported again across the bay, and delivered to a constable there, to be conveyed as is herein before directed; and for his trouble and charge herein, such sheriff shall have and receive five hundred pounds of tobacco, for every runaway 50 transported and delivered, to be paid by the public, and repaid by the owner of the runaway: And if any sheriff, or his officer, shall cause or suffer such runaway to work, so as to occasion any delay, such sheriff or officer, shall forfeit and pay one thousand pounds of tobacco, to the owner of the runaway, recoverable with costs, by action of debt, or information, in any county court of this dominion.

XXII. And where a runaway, belonging to an inWhere they habitant of Maryland or Carolina, shall be taken and belong to brought before a justice, such runaway shall be by him committed to the goal of the county where taken, and the sheriff or goaler, shall cause advertisements to be published in the same manner, and for the same time,

Maryland or
Carolina.

as is herein before directed to be done by the keeper of the public goal, and if no owner appears, may, with consent and approbation of his county court, hire out such runaway, and shall pay the reward for taking up, which shall be reimbursed out of the hire, or by the owner, together with all other charges, if the hire be not sufficient. And all money or tobacco arising by such hire of the runaway, 'til claimed by his or her owner, shall be to the use of such sheriff or goaler, and he may demand and take of the owner, the like fees and charges, as are or shall be then demandable of the inhabitants of Virginia, for runaways taken up, in the province where such owner resides.

escapes.

XXIII. And be it further enacted by the authority afore- Officers may said, That every sheriff, constable, or other officer, impress ascharged with conducting runaways, shall be, and is sistants, and hereby impowered to impress men and horses, where liable for necessary, for the safe conveying the person or persons wherewith he stands charged: And if such officer shali suffer such runaway to escape, he shall be liable to the party grieved, for recovery of damages and costs at the common law.

XXIV. And that the keeper of the public goal, may Prison fees. demand and take, for the commitment of every runaway, two shillings current money, or twenty pounds of tobacco, and the same for releasement, and for every twenty four hours keeping him or her in goal, six pence, or five pounds of tobacco, and no more: And if he, or any sheriff, or goaler, shall demand and take any other or greater fee than is, or shall be by law allotted for runaways, he or they so offending shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay twenty shillings to the party grieved, and shall also refund and pay back all money or tobacco received over and above the legal fees, recoverable with costs before any justice of peace of the county where such offence shall be committed.

XXV. And that every runaway servant, upon Runaway whose account any reward shall be paid for taking servants to up, shall serve his or her master or owner, after all repay all charges and other time of service due shall be expired, one month loss of time. and an half for every hundred pounds of tobacco so paid, or to be paid, and for all necessary disbursements and charges expended in pursuit and recovery of such runaway, and moreover, shall serve double the time of his or her absence, to be adjudged and

on wages, and found ig

norant.

allowed by the court of the county where the owner resides, or where the runaway is kept, at the next court held after his or her recovery, he or she being also brought before them; but if the owner neglects so to do, the court may allow or reject such claim, as to them appears just, without any appeal. Provided always, That if any servant, at the time of such judg ment, shall repay, or give good security before the court, for repayment of all charges and disbursements, within six months after, the master or owner shall accept thereof, in lieu of service.

Remedy a- XXVI. And whereas many abuses have been comgainst sermitted by persons, who under pretence of understandvants imported as trades- ing trades and mysteries, have procured large sums men, or me- of money to be advanced to them, and entered into chanics, up- covenants with merchants and others, in Great Britain, or elsewhere, for the payment of yearly wages, though they were really ignorant of, and unable to perform such trades or mysteries: Be it therefore further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all and every person or persons already imported, or who shall be imported into this colóny, as a tradesman or workman on wages, and shall be found not to understand such trade or employment, may be brought, by his or her master or owner, before any county court of this colony, who are hereby impowered and directed, upon complaint of such deceit to them made, to enquire into the same, and upon finding any such fraud, may order and direct such satisfaction to be made to the master, or owner of such servant, either by defalcation of the wages or part thereof, or by such further time of service for the money advanced, as to them shall seem just: And that if any such tradesman or workman, on wages, shall refuse or neglect to perform his duty, or absent himself from his master's service, without leave, the justices of the county court wherein such master resides, upon complaint and proof to them made, may order such satisfaction to be made to such master or owner, as to them shall seem just; and that for every days absence, such servant shall serve two days, without wages, after his time by indenture, or former order of court is expired.

Or, where they refuse to work, or absent them

selves.

Apprentices shall serve out their full time.

XXVII. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That every person who at any time or times hereafter shall be bound by indenture, to serve as an apprentice in any trrde, art, mystery, or occupation,

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