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Green, Timothy (fl. 1784) [Four pages extracted from a printed folio volume of state laws, 18th century]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09723 Author/Creator: Green, Timothy (fl. 1784) Place Written: Connecticut Type: Printed document Date: 1700 - 1800 Pagination: 4 p. ; 30 x 18.5 cm. Order a Copy

One document entitled "Indian, Molatto, and Negro Servants and, Slaves" dated 1784. Pages were extracted from a printed folio volume of state laws. The law imposes a rule that any unaccompanied servant in public without a ticket or pass would be perceived as a runaway. This violation would cost twenty shillings. Measures extends to travelling alone, staying out past nine o'clock among many other regulations.

This is likely printed out of the "Acts and Laws of the state of Connecticut in America," dated in 1784. Printed by Timothy Green.

[Draft Created by Crowdsourcing]
ACTS AND LAWS.
Indian, Molatto, and Negro Servants, and Slaves. 229

An Act concerning Indian, Molatto, and Negro Servants, and Slaves.

Negro, Molatto or Indian Servant Travelling without a Pass may be Seised.
BE it enacted by the Governour, Council, and Representatives in General Court Assembled, and by the Authority of the same, That whatsoever Negro, Molatto, or Indian Servant, or Servants shall be found Wandring out of the Bounds of the Town, or Place to which they belong without a Ticket, or Pass in Writing under the Hand of some Assistant, or Justice of the Peace, or under the Hand of the Master, or Owner of such Negro, Molatto, or Indian Servants, shall be Deemed, and Accounted to be Run-aways, and may be Treated as such: And every Person Inhabiting this colony, Finding, or Meeting with any such Negro, Molatto, or Indian Servant, or Servants not having a ticket, as aforesaid, is hereby Impowred to Seise, and Secure him, or them, and Bring him, or them before the next Authority to be examined, and Returned to his, or their Master, or Owner, who shall satisfy the Charge Accruing thereby.

Ferry men not to Transport such. Penalty 20s
And all Ferry-Men within this colony, are hereby Required not to suffer any Indian, Molatto, or Negro Servant, without Certificate, as aforesaid, to pass over their Respective Ferries, by Assisting them therein Directly, or Indirectly, on the penalty of paying a Fine of Twenty Shillings for every such Offense, to the Owner of such Servants.

Vagrant, and Suspected persons to be Seised.
And all Vagrants, or Suspected Persons may be Used in the Like Manner, when found Wandring from Town to Town having no Certificate, of Pass, as aforesaid, who shall be seised, and Conveyed before the next Authority, to be Examined, and Disposed of according to Law.
Free Negroes not to Travel without a Pass.
And if any free Negroes shall Travel without such Certificate, or Pass, and be Stopped, Seised, or Taken up, as aforesaid, they shall pay all Charges arising thereby.

And for the Preventing such Servants from stealing from their Masters, and Others; and for the better Governing them.

Any Person presuming to Buy, or Receive Goods or Slaves, to Forfeit &c.
Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That every Free Person which shall presume, either Openly, or Privately to Buy, or Receive of, or from any Indian, Molatto, or Negro Servant, or Slave any Money, Goods, Merchandizes, Wares, or Provisions without order from the Master, or Mistress of such Servant, or Slave; every Person so Offending, and be therefore Convicted, shall be Sentenced to Restore all such Money, Goods, Merchandizes, Ware and Provision unto the Party Injured, in Specie, (if not Altered) and also Forfeit to the Party Double the Value thereof, over, and above; or Treble the value where the same are Disposed of, or Made away: And if the Person so Offending be Unable to, or shall not make Restitution, as Awarded then to be Openly Whipt with so many Stripes, (not exceeding Twenty) as the Court of Justice that hath the Cognizance of such Offense shall Order; or make Satisfaction by Service: To be Assigned therein by such Court, or Justice.

Every Indian, Negro, or Molatto Servant that steals, &c.
And every Indian, Negro, or Molatto Servant, or Slave, of, or from whom such Money, Goods, Merchandizes, Wares, or Provisions shall be Received, or Bought, if it appear they were Stolen; or that shall

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ACTS AND LAWS.
230. Indian, Molatto, and Negro Servants, and Slaves.

shall Steal any Money, Goods, Merchandizes, Wares, or Provisions and be thereof Convicted, (although the Buyer, or Receiver be not found) shall be punished by Whipping, not exceeding Thirty Stripes, and the Things Stolen to be Restored to the Party Injured, if found, or the Value thereof if no found: To Be Determined, as aforesaid.

Servants and Slaves not to be Abroad after 9 a Clock at Night, Except, &c.
That if any Negro, Molatto, or Indian Servant, or Slave shall be found Abroad from Home in the Night Season after Nine of the Clock, without special Order from his, or their Master, or Mistress, it shall be Lawful for any Person, or Persons to Apprehend, and Secure Such Negro, Molatto, or Indian Servant, or Slave to Offending, and him, her, or them Bring before the next Assistant or Justice of the Peace ; Which Authority shall have full Power to pass Sentence upon such Servant, or Slave, and Order him, her, or them to be publicly Whipped on the Naked Body ; Not Exceeding Ten Stripes, and to pay Cost of Court; Except his, or their master or mistress shall Redeem them, by paying a Fine, not Exceeding Ten shillings.

Penalty on Heads of Families who Entertain Servants, &c.
And if such Servants, or Slaves shall have Entertainment in any House after Nine of the Clock, as aforesaid (Except to do any Business they may be sent upon,) the Head of the Family that Entertains, or Tolerates them in his, or her House, or any the Dependences thereof, shall Forfeit and Pay the Sum of Ten Shilling: One Half to the Complainer, and the other half to the Treasurer of the Town where the Offence is committed.

Who to Prosecute
And all Constables, and Grand- Jurors, and Tything- Men are Required to make Enquiry info, and Present all Breaches of this Act.

And for Preventing Disorders and insolences from being Committed by Indians brought from other Plantations; and for Preventing Charges coming upon Towns by Negro, Indian, and Molatto Servants, and Slaves Coming, and being made Free.

Indians bro't into this Colony to Sell, to be Forfeited to the Colony, Unless.
Be it further enacted by the by the Authority aforetold, That all Indians, Male, or Female of what Age soever, Imported, or Brought into this Colony by Sea, or Land from any Place whatsoever, to be Disposed of, Left, or Sold within this Colony, shall be Forfeited to the Treasury of this Colony, and may be Seised, and Taken accordingly; unless the Person, or Persons Importing, or Bringing in such Indian, or Indians, shall give Security to some Naval Officer in this Colony of Fifty Pounds per Head to Transport, or Carry out the same again within the space of One Month next after their Coming, not to be Returned back to this Colony.

And every Master of Ship, or Vessel, Merchant, or Person whatsoever Importing, or Bringing into this Colony, by Sea, or Land, any Indian, or Indians, Male, or Female, as aforesaid, shall within the space of Twenty Four Hours after their Arrival, or Coming in, Report, and Enter their names, Number, and Sex, and give Security to some Naval Officer, as aforesaid, on pain of Forfeiting to the Treasury of this Colony the Sum of Fifty Pounds per Head: To be Sued for, and Recovered in any of His Majesty's Courts of Record, by Action, Bill, Plaint, or Information.
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[3]
ACTS AND LAWS.
Forming, and Regulating Societies, or Parishes. 231

Slaves set Free to be Maintain'd by their late Owners, in case they come to want.
And that all Slaves set at Liberty by their Owners; and all Negro, Mollatto, or Spanish Indians who are Servants to Masters for Time, in case they come to Want after they shall be to set at Liberty, or the Time of their said Service be Expired, shall be Relieved by such Owners, or Masters respectively, their Heirs, Executors, or Administrators; and upon their, or either of their Refusal so to do, the said Slaves, and Servants shall be Relieved by the Select-Men of the Towns to which they belong: And the said Select-Men shall Recover of the said Owners, or Masters, their Heirs, Executors, or Administrators all the Charge, and Cost they are at for such Relief, in the Usual Manner as in the cafe of any other Debts.

The Inhabitants to meet together in Decem. Annually, or in any Month in the Year, &c.
An Act for Forming, Ordering, and Regulating Societies, or Parishes.
Be it Enacted by the Governour, Council, and Representatives, in General Court Assembled and by the Authority of the same, That is the Setled, and Approved Inhabitants, Qualified as is hereafter in this Act provided, in Each Respective Parish, or Society Made, or that shall be Made, and Constituted by this Assembly, shall Meet, and Assemble together, Annually, some Time in the Month of December, or in any other Month in the Year, as they shall Judge most Convenient, at some Place in such Society, according to the Notice thereof to be given them at least Five Days before such Meeting, by the Committee for Ordering the Affairs of the Society, or for want of such Committee by the Clerk of the Society.

And choose a Moderator, Clerk & Committee.
Clerk to be Sworn Vid. pag. 18t
And the Inhabitants being Legally Assembled, are Impowred by the Vote of the Major Part of them present, to Choose a Moderator, a Society Clerk, and Three, or more Discreet, Able Inhabitants to be a Committee to Order the Affairs of the Society for the year Ensuing Which Clerk shall Take the Oath by Law provided for Society Clerks: And being so Qualified, shall have the same Powers, and Authorities, as to the Business of the said Society, as the Town Clerks have in the Respective Towns; and his Doings shall be as Essential in Law: And the said Society Clerk being Chosen, and Sworn, shall continue in his Office until another be Chosen, and Sworn in his Room.

And also to Grant Rates, and Levy Taxes, &c.
And also the said Inhabitants in their Lawful Meetings, by their Major Vote, as aforesaid, shall have Power to Grant, and Lay such Rates, and Taxes on the Inhabitants of such Society, and Others by law Ratable by such Society, for the Raising such Sum, or Sums of Money as may be Needed for the support of the Ministry, and School there, and other Matters necessary for them to do; and to Appoint Committees for such Purposes, as their Occasions call for, as the law Directs: And to Choose, and Appoint a Collector, or Collectors for the Gathering such Rates, and Taxes: And every Collector so Chosen that shall Refuse to Serve, shall suffer the same Penalty as is provided by Law in case of Town Officers Refusing to Serve in the Offices to which they are Chosen.

That when any Society, or Societies are legally set off in any Town, or Towns in this Colony, whereby such Town or Towns are Divided.

[4]
ACTS AND LAWS.
232 Forming, and Regulating Societies, or Parishes.

A New Society, how warn'd to meet the first time.
Divided into Separate Societies, such New Society so Set off, and also the Remaining Part, or First Society in any Town, may, in Order to their being Formed, and Furnished with proper Officers, Warn their First Meeting in the following Manner, Viz.
An Assistant, or Justice of the Peace, together with the Three principal Inhabitants in any such First Society, or in any such other Society Set off, as aforesaid, shall grant a Warrant under their Hands to some proper Person by them Deputed, to Warn all the Inhabitants in the Limits of Such First, or other Societies to Meet together at such Time, and Place as they shall Appoint: The said Warning to be given Five Days before such Meeting, and being so Met shall, and may Act, and Do all, and every thing Lawful, and Proper for a Society to Do as before in this Act is provided.

Such Inhabitants as have the Gospel preach'd to them some Months in a Year, their Privilege, & Power.
That such Inhabitants of Towns, and Societies as have Obtained, or hereafter shall Obtain Liberty of the General Assembly, to procure, and have the Preaching of the Gospel among themselves for certain Months in the Year Distinct, and Separate from the Established Place of Worship in such Town, or Society to which they belong, shall, and may when, and so often as there may be Occasion, Meet together at such Time, and Place as shall be Appointed, and according to the Notice thereof, to be given them at least Five Days before such Meeting by their Committee, or for want of a Committee of Three, or more Able, Discreet Men, of the Inhabitants aforesaid, to Order the prudential Affairs of such Precincts, for the End aforesaid; and may by their Major Vote in such their Meetings, Grant, and Lay such Rates, and Taxes on the said Inhabitants, as shall be Needful for the Support of the Minister whom they shall procure to Preach with them for such Time, and for other Necessary Changes arising among them; and to appoint a Collector, or Collectors for the Gathering such Rates: Who shall have the same Power to proceed in Collecting the fame as Collectors of Societies have, and shall be Accountable therefor, in the same Manner as Collectors of Society Rates by Law are.

And for the preventing Disputes about the Votes made in society Meeting; and for the Determining the Qualification of Voters therein.

Who are the Persons Qualified to Vote &c.
Be it further Enacted by the Authority after said That no Person shall presume to Vote in ant Society Meeting, aforesaid, unless such Person hath a Free-Hold in the same Town, or Society Rated at Fifty Shillings, or Forty Pounds in the Common List; or is a Person of full Age, and in full Communion with the Church: Nor shall and Person who is, or shall be by the Law of this Government Freed, or Exempted from the Payment of those Taxes granted by any Town, or Society for the Support of the Worship, and Ministry of the Presbyterian, Congregational, or Conscociated churches of this Government, and for the Building, and Maintaining Meeting Houses for such Worship, on Account, or by Reason of his Dissenting from the Way of Worship, and Ministry aforesaid, be Allowed, or Admitted to Act, or Vote in any Town, or Society Meeting, in those Votes which Reflect, or Relate to the Support of the Worship, and Ministry aforesaid, and the Building, and Maintaining of the Meeting Houses, aforesaid.

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