Fugitive Slaves Part 20

=35. Virginia:--Apprehension of Runaways.=

=1670, October.= Act I. An Act concerning runaways. Reward for apprehending runaways is reduced to two hundred pounds of tobacco.

Servants are to serve four months for every two hundred pounds of tobacco. Masters who fail to cut their servants' hair after twice running away shall be fined two hundred pounds of tobacco. Every constable through whose hands a runaway pa.s.ses is to whip the servant severely. Constables allowing runaways to escape shall pay four hundred pounds of tobacco. Masters must not allow their servants to go free until the time of service has been worked out.--_Statutes at Large.

Hening, Laws of Virginia, II. 277._

=36. Virginia:--Reward to the first taker up of runaways.=

=1670, October.= Act XIII. Runawayes. Only the first taker up of a runaway shall be rewarded.--_Statutes at Large. Hening, Laws of Virginia, II. 283._

=37. Virginia:--Apprehension of Runaways. [-- 8.]=

=1672, October.= Act VIII. An Act for the apprehension and suppression of runawayes, negroes and slaves. Runaways resisting may be killed or wounded, and if they die from the effects of a wound the public shall pay the owner, but the person inflicting the injury is not to be questioned. Indians shall be rewarded by twenty armes length of Roanoake or the value thereof in goods for the apprehension of a runaway. Act is to continue in force only until the next a.s.sembly.--_Statutes at Large.

Hening, Laws of Virginia, II. 299._

=38. Maryland:--Apprehension of runaways.=

=1671, April.= The three acts of 1650, 1662, and 1666 have not proved sufficient encouragement to people to apprehend runaways, therefore a statute against runaways and such persons that shall give them entertainment and others that shall travel without pa.s.ses is enacted.--_Maryland Archives, a.s.sembly Proceedings, 298._

=39. New Jersey:--Fugitive servants and apprentices.=

=1675, November.= "x.x.xIII. Concerning Fugitives, It is enacted by the same Authority, that every Apprentice and Servant that shall depart and absent themselves from their Masters or Dames, without leave first obtaind, shall be judged by the court to double the Time of such their Absence, by future Service, over and above other Damages and Costs which the Master and Dame shall sustain by such unlawful Departure. x.x.xIV.

_And it is further enacted_, that whosoever shall be proved to have transported or contrived the Transportation of any such Apprentice, Servant, or Slave, shall be fined _Five Pounds_, and all such Damages as the Court shall judge, and that the Master or Dame can make appear, and if not able to be left to the Judgement of the Court. _It is further enacted_, that every Inhabitant that shall harbour or entertain any such Apprentice, Servant, or Slave, and knowing that he hath absented himself from his Service upon Proof thereof, shall forfeit to their Master or Dame _Ten s.h.i.+llings_ for every days Entertainment or Concealment, and if not able to satisfy, to be liable to the Judgement of the Court."--_New Jersey Laws, 109._

=40. Maryland:--Runaways.=

=1676, June.= An Act against runaways.--_Laws of Maryland, Bacon, Index._

=41. East New Jersey:--Fugitive servants.=

=1682, March.= Laws pa.s.sed by General a.s.sembly in East New Jersey. Chap.

IX. A Bill against fugitive Servants, and entertainers of them. "Be it enacted by the Governor, Council, and Deputies in General a.s.sembly met, and by the Authority of the same, that every Apprentice, or Servant, that shall depart or absent themselves from their Master or Mistress, without leave first obtained, shall be adjudged by the Court to double the Time of such their absence by future Service, besides all Costs and Damages, which the master or mistress shall have sustained by such unlawful Departure. _Be it further enacted_ by the Authority aforesaid, that whosoever shall knowingly transport or contrive the Transportation of any Apprentice, Servant, or Slave, or be any aiding or a.s.sisting thereto, and be thereof lawfully convicted, shall be fined _Five Pounds_, and make full Satisfaction to the master or mistress of such Apprentice, Servant, or Slave, for all Costs or Damages which the said master or mistress can make appear to have thereby sustained. _Be it further enacted_ By the Authority aforesaid, that every Inhabitant, who shall entertain, or afford any manner of Relief to such Apprentice, Servant, or Slave, knowing that he hath absented himself as aforesaid, except of real Charity, and thereof be lawfully convicted, shall pay to the master or mistress of such Servant _Ten s.h.i.+llings_ for every Days Entertainment and concealment, and be fined according to the Discretion of the Court."--_Acts of the Proprietary Government of New Jersey, 238._

=42. New Jersey:--Prevention of runaways.=

=1683.= No t.i.tle given. General a.s.sembly. VI. "And for the preventing Servants running away from their Masters, and other Vagabonds, _Be it hereby enacted_ by the authority aforesaid, that all Magistrates, Officiers, Ordinary Keepers, and other Inhabitants within this Province, take special notice of all suspicious Travellers, and require their pa.s.s or certificates, under the Hand and Seal of the Magistrate or Magistrates, or Publick Notary of the Place of their last Abode, to satisfy the clearness of his, her, or their coming away, and for want of such Pa.s.s or Certificate, to secure such Person or Persons into the Custody of the next constable; which Person and Persons so to be secured, or their Masters, shall pay such Charge and Trouble as the Person or Persons shall be put to, in the securing them as aforesaid, before they shall be discharged, at the Discretion of two or more of the Magistrates of the said Province."--_Acts of the Proprietary Governments of New Jersey, 477._

=43. South Carolina.--Prevention of runaways.=

=1683, Nov. 7.= An Act to prevent Runaways. t.i.tle only preserved. Table of contents.--_Statutes at Large of South Carolina, II._

=44. Virginia:--Repeal of law of 1663, September.=

=1684, April.= Act III. An act repealing the act concerning the persuit of runawayes. The law of September, 1663, has been found inconvenient in practice, it is therefore repealed.--_Statutes at Large. Hening, Laws of Virginia, III. 12._

=45. East New Jersey:--Runaway servants. [-- 2.]=

=1686, April.= Chap. XI. An Act concerning Runaway Servants. "Whereas the securing of Servants that Runaway, or otherwise absent themselves from their Masters lawful Occasions, is found a material encouragement to such Persons as come into this country to settle Plantations and Populate the Province; for the better encouragement of such Persons, Be it therefore enacted by the Governor and Council and Deputies now met in General a.s.sembly, and by the authority of the same, that if any Servant or Servants, Prentices or Covenant Servants, Run away or absent him or herself unlawfully from their Masters or Mistress' Service, being taken up or secured, so that the master or mistress hath him or her again, for the better Encouragement of such Person or Persons so securing him or them, they shall have _Twenty s.h.i.+llings_ paid him or them," etc.--_New Jersey Laws, 292._

=46. Virginia: Law of 1670 amended.=

=1686, October.= Act I. Slight change in making out the certificate for apprehension of runaway.--_Statutes at Large. Hening, Laws of Virginia, III. 29._

=47. South Carolina:--Inhibition of trade with runaways.=

=1691.= An act inhibiting the tradeing with Servants and Slaves. "_And it is alsoe enacted_ by the authority aforesaid, that if any servant or servants shall at any tyme or tymes hereafter absent or withdraw him or themselves from his, her, or their master or mistresses service, such servant or servants soe offending shall for every naturall day they shall soe absent themselves serve one whole weeke, and for every weeke, if they shall att any one tyme soe long absent themselves, one whole yeare to theire master or mistresse, over and above their contracted tyme of servitude."--_Statutes at Large of South Carolina, II. 53._

=48. Pennsylvania:--Regulation of servants.=

=1700.= An Act for the better Regulation of Servants in this Province and Territories. "And for the Prevention of Servants quitting their masters Service, _Be it enacted_ by the Authority aforesaid, that if any Servant shall absent him or herself from the Service of their Master or Owner for the s.p.a.ce of one Day, or more, without Leave first obtained for the same, every such Servant shall, for every such Days absence, be obliged to serve Five Days after the Expiration of his or her Time, and shall further make such Satisfaction to his or her Master or Owner for the Damages and Charges sustained by such Absence as the respective County Courts shall see meet, who shall order as well the Time to be served, as other Recompence for Damages sustained. And whosoever shall apprehend or take up any Runaway Servant, and shall bring him or her to the Sheriff of the County, such Person shall for every such Servant, if taken up within Ten miles of the Servants abode, receive _Ten s.h.i.+llings_; and if Ten miles or upwards, _Twenty s.h.i.+llings_ Reward of the said Sheriff, who is hereby required to pay the same, and forthwith to send Notice to the master or Owner, of whom he shall receive _Five s.h.i.+llings_ Prison Fees upon the Delivery of the said Servant, together with all other Disburs.e.m.e.nts and reasonable Charges for and upon the same."--_Province Laws of Pennsylvania, I. 5._

=49. New York:--Regulation of slaves.=

=1702.= An Act for regulating Slaves. "And be it further enacted, etc., That no Person or Persons whatsoever do hereafter Employ, Harbour, Conceal or Entertain other Men's Slaves at their House, Out-house, or Plantation, without the consent of their master or mistress, either signified to them verbally, or by Certificate in writing, under the said Master or Mistress' Hand upon Forfeiture of Five Pounds for every Night or Day, to the Master or Mistress of such Slave or Slaves, so that the Penalty of such Slave do not exceed the value of the said Slave. And if any Person or Persons whatsoever shall be found guilty of Harbouring, Entertaining, or Concealing of any Slave, or a.s.sisting to the Conveying them away, if such Slave shall happen to be lost, dead, or otherwise distroyed, such Person or Persons, so Harbouring, Entertaining, Concealing, a.s.sisting or Conveying of them away, shall be also liable to pay the Value of such Slave to the master or mistress, to be recovered by Action of Debt, in manner aforesaid."--_Acts of Province of New York from 1691 to 1718, p. 58._

=50. New York:--Punishment of runaways to Canada. [-- 8.]=

=1705.= An act to prevent the Running away of Negro Slaves out of the City and County of _Albany_, to the French at Canada. "Whereas the City and County of Albany are the Frontiers of this Province toward the _French_ of Canada; and that it is of great concern to this Colony, during this time of War with the French, that no Intelligence be carried from the said City and County to the French at Canada: ... Be it enacted, and it is hereby enacted by his Excellency the Governor, Council and a.s.sembly, etc., that all and every Negro Slave or Slaves, belonging to any of the Inhabitants of the city and county of _Albany_, who shall from and after the First Day of _August_ of this present year of our Lord, One thousand seven hundred and five, be found traveling Forty miles above the City of Albany, at or above a certain place called _Sarachtoge_ (unless in Company of his, her, or their Master, Mistress, or such employed by them, or either of them), and be thereof convicted by the Oaths of Two or more credible Witnesses, before the Court of Sessions of the Peace of the said City and County (which Court of Sessions are hereby Authorized and Impowered to hear and determine the same, in manner aforesaid, and thereupon to award execution), he, she, or they so Convicted, shall suffer the Pains of Death, as in cases of Felony."--_Acts of Province of New York, 77._

=51. New York:--Act of 1702 revived.=

=1705.= An act for Reviving and continuing an Act, Int.i.tuled, An Act for Regulating Slaves, 1702 (expired in 1712).--_Acts of the Province of New York, 79._

=52. Virginia:--Runaway servants and slaves.=

=1705, October.= Chap. XLIX. An Act concerning Servants and Slaves. XXI.

Penalty for entertaining runaway servants without a certificate shall be for every day sixty pounds of tobacco. XXIII. Persons rewarded for taking up runaway according to the distance.--_Hening, Laws of Virginia, II. 447._

=53. Ma.s.sachusetts Bay:--Regulation of free negroes. [-- 4.]=

=1707.= An Act for the regulating of free negroes. "Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, that every free negro or mulatto who shall harbour or entertain any negro or mulatto servant in his or her house, without the leave or consent of their respective masters or mistresses, shall forfeit and pay the sum of five s.h.i.+llings to the use of the poor of the town, for each offence."--_Charters and General Laws of the Colony and Province of Ma.s.sachusetts Bay, 386._